Today Jane Austen is recognized as one of the greatest writers in the English speaking world. Not so in 1795 when this story takes place and she's a young woman who wants to marry for love something unheard of in those days.

Jane's middle class parents have a suitable match for her. Dull Laurence Fox who has some family connections to some of the landed gentry in the Great Britain of George III. But Jane sets her sights on James McAvoy, a wild Irish lad and both the wild and the Irish are objected to in equal parts by parents James Cromwell and Julie Walters.

Anne Hathaway who does a wonderful job playing all kinds of bright and eager young women is a bright and eager Jane Austen. In an age when women tended to the sewing and weren't supposed to have opinions, she has them by the wagon load. No one, least of all her parents will tell her whom she is to love and marry.

As for McAvoy, he's a lawyer and a wild child who likes to have a bit of fun and delights in slumming at the grog houses and even getting into prize fights. Those matches were long before the Marquis of Queensbury set down any rules as you'll see.

The passion does burn bright between the two, but as we know Jane never did marry and died relatively young. Why is what you see the film for.

Hathaway and McAvoy will charm you as Hathaway goes on her life mission in Becoming Jane.

This is an imagined semi-biographical story of Jane Austen. It's around 1795, and Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) is a rebellious young woman before her great works. She forms a combative relationship with rogue Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy) while her family wants a more aristocratic match in Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox) and stability of money.

It's very doubtful that this has much relationship to reality, but it's still a very good movie. Hathaway and McAvoy are great young actors, and they have magnetic chemistry. It's really an interesting way to create an Austen-like story by using her own life. And I do like the ending and the depressing tone no matter how little it has to do with her true life. We must allow for poetic license. I do wish for a faster start to the drama. Once it gets started, there are great performances such as Julie Walters as Jane's mother in addition to the two leads. I like to think of this as a Jane Austen novel that she never got to write herself.

It is a bit odd to say this, but I only remembered it was a biography about Jane Austen halfway through the film, from director Julian Jarrold (Kinky Boots). Basically 20-something Jane Austen (Ella Enchanted's Anne Hathaway) was an emerging young writer of novels, seeing the world beyond class, convention and constraint, and she also does not see the point of marrying, unless it is for true love. Her parents: father Rev. Austen (James Cromwell) and mother Mrs. Austen (Julie Walters) are looking for a wealthy suitor, they like the look of Mr. Wisley (Laurence Fox),nephew of Lady Gresham (Dame Maggie ). Jane however has met Tom Lefroy (James McAvoy),who at first she may be annoyed by, but they soon have a spark, but they cannot marry, otherwise thy risk their friends' and families' fortunes. In the end, Jane became one of Englan's most famous novelists, writing seven successful books, including Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma, and she and her sister Cassandra 'Cassie' (EastEnders' Anna Maxwell Martin) never married. Also starring Joe Anderson as Henry Austen, Lucy Cohu as Eliza De Feuillide and Ian Richardson as Judge Langlois. Hathaway sports a good English accent, the supporting cast do well in their time, it may not be the most entertaining film ,but it s a good old-fashioned costume period romantic drama. Worth watching!