--- title: "Jane Eyre: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/jane-eyre/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/jane-eyre" critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 14 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Jane Eyre (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 66 from 14 reviews: 7 positive, 6 mixed, 1 negative. The reviews lean favourable, with substantial reservations about how much feeling survives the adaptation’s restraint. Praise centres on Mia Wasikowska’s quietly forceful Jane, while Michael Fassbender’s Rochester and the pair’s verbal sparring also win approval. Even less persuaded critics admire the performances and visual craft. Subdued lighting, atmospheric photography and carefully composed images give the gothic setting a presence that the reviews repeatedly recognise. The disagreement is chiefly over whether that restraint strengthens the romance or drains it. The New Yorker finds the austerity emotionally powerful; The AV Club finds the film respectful but lacking passion and danger. Empire takes a different view, finding the romance overripe while still admiring Wasikowska. Reservations elsewhere concern compression, episodic storytelling, Jane’s limited inner life and a climax that fails to gather force. The spread is fairly wide: shared respect for the acting and atmosphere does not produce agreement about the film’s emotional effect. ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 2011. Denby finds the adaptation austere but emotionally powerful, capturing the novel’s elemental passions. He praises Mia Wasikowska’s quietly confident Jane and the subdued lighting that heightens the gothic atmosphere. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/03/14/looking-for-love-david-denby) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The critic finds the adaptation highly recommendable and praises its restrained style, though the climactic scenes fail to build in intensity. Mia Wasikowska is singled out for embodying Jane as both a distinct character and an archetypal figure. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/jane-eyre-review-7426607.html) ## Slant Magazine — Bill Weber Rating 3/4. 7 March 2011. Weber finds the adaptation rewarding but constrained by the challenge of compressing the novel into a feature-length film. He praises Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender for bringing emotional depth to Jane and Rochester’s romance. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/jane-eyre-5315/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 March 2011. Turan finds Fukunaga’s adaptation compelling, though Jane’s restricted interior life limits the film somewhat. He especially praises Fassbender’s charismatic Rochester and the lively sparring between Rochester and Jane. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-mar-11-la-et-jane-eyre-20110311-story.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2011. The critic finds this a smartly handled, low-key adaptation, with young stars anchoring a tough-minded story. He particularly praises Mia Wasikowska’s performance and the film’s focused visual compositions, while noting that Jane’s religious development is missing. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/jane-eyre-film-review-163945/) ## Screen Daily — Brent Simon Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 8 March 2011. The review text is unavailable, so its verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the accessible page text. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/-jane-eyre/5024663.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 11 March 2011. The URL identifies a review of the specified film, but the page did not load. Its verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/movies/jane-eyre-starring-mia-wasikowska-review.html) ## The AV Club — Tasha Robinson Rating C+. 10 March 2011. Robinson finds the adaptation respectful but passion-free, with its gothic romance and sense of danger sanded away. She praises the vivid scenery and Sally Hawkins’s infuriating performance as Mrs. Reed. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/jane-eyre-1798167591) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 62/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2011. Bradshaw finds the adaptation intelligent, beautifully crafted and well acted, but too restrained to fully ignite its central romance. He particularly praises the chemistry and carefully paced first encounters between Jane and Rochester. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/sep/08/jane-eyre-film-review) ## Total Film — Neil Smith Rating 3/5. 30 August 2011. Smith finds the adaptation elegant and brooding, though its episodic structure weakens it. He praises Adriano Goldman’s atmospheric photography and Michael Fassbender’s compelling Rochester. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/jane-eyre-1-review/) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2011. Nathan finds the film visually striking but ultimately let down by its overripe romance and underdeveloped climax. He praises Mia Wasikowska’s restrained, forceful portrayal of Jane. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/jane-eyre-2-review/) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 4 March 2011. Chang finds the adaptation visually striking and well acted, but too restrained and emotionally uninvolving to become especially vital. He praises Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender’s performances, while faulting the film’s late revelations and restless visuals for failing to deepen Jane’s inner life. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/jane-eyre-1117944756/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B+. 11 March 2011. Goldberg praises the film as a confident, haunting gothic romance, though he finds its early framing and childhood sections slow to find their footing. He singles out Wasikowska and Fassbender’s performances, along with the cinematography, score, and costumes, for praise. [Read the review](https://collider.com/jane-eyre-review/) ## Eye for Film — David Graham Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2011. Graham finds the adaptation a thoroughly well-made, invigorating film, despite omissions and casting choices that do not fully honor the novel. He especially praises its ravishing Gothic visuals and Wasikowska’s emotionally nuanced performance. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/jane-eyre-film-review-by-david-graham) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/jane-eyre.md