Austenland

It is a truth universally acknowledged that an ex-star of a prime-time TV show still in possession of her looks must star in a romcom.

Keri Russell, of Felicity fame, has finally grown her hair out, and with it her keen eye for strong female characters. Based on Shannon Hale’s novel and produced by Twilight writer Stephanie Meyer, Austenland centres on Russell’s emotionally paralysed 30-something singleton who travels to a Jane Austen-themed resort to experience the exquisite manners, courtly wooing and dashing men she’s long idolised. Directed by Jerusha Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre), Austenland could have been a hilarious and emotionally resonant flick. The material is perfect for a comedy of manners, imbued with biting social commentary about the merits and pitfalls of traditional courtship, how it can blind one to the joys of flawed but real love.
However, it seems that even a basic understanding of Austen’s novels is asking too much - much less an emotional arc or sense of sincerity. Austenland plays up the vacuous, almost perverted nature of the tackily dressed romance-brothel - but ultimately concludes that women are so desperate and immature that paid escorts masquerading as the bodice-ripper archetypes of snooty Mr Darcy (charisma-free J.J. Feild) and naughty stable boy (Bret McKenzie) are all we need. Comedy-wise, Jennifer Coolidge again plays the oversexualised vulgar American, whose clichéd stupidity is simultaneously tired and a welcome respite from this otherwise anaemic entertainment vacuum.
A piece of period candyfloss that will leave anyone with a double-digit-or-better IQ longing for the wit and intelligent characterisation of Austen’s novels. At least when you buy a ticket to Jurassic Park, you get to see some goddamn dinosaurs.