"Jane Eyre" - in theaters

I was intending on seeing "Suckerpunch" this weekend, but it was a pleasant surprise to find that "Jane Eyre" was playing nearby. My friend was game, so we made the short trip up the theatre that tends to play the more independent movie set.

That being said, it was a good choice.

"Jane Eyre" is the story of Jane (Mia Wasikowska), an orphan raised partially by her aunt (Sally Hawkins), who then expels her from the house to a hard school for girls. She is there until she receives her first posting, at an estate called Thornfield. Thornfield is in the middle of nowhere, her boss, Mr. Rochester (the delicious Michael Fassbender), is largely unaccounted for, her pupil is French, and the housekeeper (Judi Dench) is a busybody who is desperate for companionship. Clearly the dream situation for a young girl in 1800's England.

But Jane doesn't mind. She enjoys her work and the quiet it brings. She's very passionate about life, learning, and experience, which is part of the reason why she was expelled from her aunt's house. But this passion shines through during her infrequent conversations with Mr. Rochester. I think that what he sees the most in her is potential. More to the point, he sees that he could be happy with her in a way that he was never happy before. And it's these sweet moments when you can see him beginning to believe that, that really make the movie.

But of course, things are not all that they seem. I won't go into it, but just know that Jamie Bell (love him!) makes an appearance and helps Jane out in a time of need. If I told you what happened, that might ruin the story, and we don't want that, do we?

The story has a spooky angle, which I wasn't expecting. I haven't read the book since high school, and so had to be reminded of a few key plot points, but the filmmaker does a fine job of making Thornfield both inviting and menacing at the same time. You can tell that Jane never feels 100% safe some of the time, and neither does the audience. Plus, I'm pretty sure I jumped more during this movie than I did during "The Sixth Sense", hard as that is to believe.

Mia Wasikowska does a great job as Jane. It's hard to make her appear "plain, at least physically. Once you see her personality shine through, there is nothing plain about her. Michael Fassbender, whose voice could literally make my underwear melt off, is fantastic as Rochester. He's a hard ass one minute, then sweet as a kitten the next. And the way he looks at Jane just makes me wish that a man would look at me that way, you know what I'm saying?

So on the CWeave scale, I rate this movie a 9. Great performances and a great storyline. This is one I will own, and probably watch a million times. And I suggest that you all do the same.

"The Kids are Alright" - in theaters

Based on the television commercials that I saw that advertised this film, I expected it to be a lot funnier. However, much like "Lost in Translation", the laughs were somewhat few and far between.

Don't get me wrong though, I really enjoyed this film (unlike the film mentioned above, ugh). It centers around two women, Jules, played by Julianne Moore, and Nic, played by Annette Bening, and their two children, Laser (no joke, that's his name) played by Josh Hutcherson, and Joni, played by Mia Wasikowska. Now, Joni and Laser (seriously, who names their kid after a beam?) are curious about the man who inseminated each mom in turn, so since Joni's 18, she looks him up. The sperm donor is none other than Mark Ruffalo, at his scruffy, charming best, and he soon folds into their lives like a cheap suit.

At first, Mark Ruffalo's character Paul is very charming, and you really dig him. But as he continues to develop relationships with each of these family members, I find him to be less so. At one point he begins to have an affair with Jules, which eventually, the entire family uncovers. I guess what's so icky (for lack of a better word) is the way that Paul behaves and how he weasels his way in to everyone's lives. He's quite a sleazeball when you think about it more, and it sort of makes my skin crawl.

And skeezebag though he may be, Mark Ruffalo does an excellent job at it. All of the cast should be commended on their performances, as they were all very believable, and they all make you care about what happens to this family. It's surprising that this movie came out during the summer as opposed to making a winter Oscar run, but hopefully at nomination time, it won't be forgotten.

So on the CWeave scale, I give this movie an 8. Points off for lacking humor, but bonus points to Josh Hutcherson, who shows a lot of potential.

Now, as a sex educator, I have to throw in my 2 cents. I understand how this movie could spur some controversy given that the main character identifies as a lesbian, yet has an affair with a man. Personally, I don't find this horribly upsetting, because I think that you're attracted to who you're attracted to, and that can't be helped. Labels are just labels, and they shouldn't define every feeling or behavior that occurs. I prefer to think of sexual orientation as fluid, which allows for change and deviation. But again, that's just my opinion...