Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
In an age where genuinely good romantic comedies are a rarity, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life reignites that spark and thirst for the simplicity of love stories. Charming and eccentric, the French-English feature follows Agathe, a bookshop worker suffering from stagnation in life, love and her career. Ever since an accident left her traumatised, she hasn’t been able to get in a car and have sex with anyone. All the novels she has attempted to write remain unfinished. Feeling old-fashioned and born in the wrong century, Agathe believes her lack of grand experiences affects her writing. A chance to turn things around comes when she’s accepted into a Jane Austen residency. Full of references to the famed author and the vintage glamour of exotic escapades and grand balls, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life brings back to life the lost art of cinematic romance.
One can appreciate that despite its framing as a love story, Laura Piani’s script never strays from focusing on Agathe as an individual. The director delicately explores her struggles with her trauma and how that has affected every crevice of her life – from her fear of cars, her living situation and her writing, down to her love life. This intricate foundation allows the viewers to understand Agathe and see themselves in her. Everyone has experienced stagnation at some point; everyone knows what it’s like to fear being alone. Seeing a film handle such universal yet personal experiences with great care is wonderful. The audience will find themselves endeared to Agathe, not only because of Camille Rutherford’s playful and demure performance, but also through the character’s intense honesty.
Book lovers will appreciate a lot of the nods to classic literature within the picture. Even if in passing, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life opens up a conversation on the role of novels and art in society. This exploration isn’t heavy-handed, keeping the plot grounded in Agathe and her day-to-day journey. But it makes valuable points regarding people and their relationship with culture and media. The feature, in general, touches on plenty of interesting and personal topics – from the nuances of living with a loved one suffering from dementia to the intriguing dynamic of male and female friendships. These are sprinkled throughout the piece, never fully dissected, but ever-present. It allows the world to feel bigger than just Agathe and her plight while maintaining her as the central figure of it all.
The true highlight of the movie is the romantic tale it tells. While Rutherford has electric chemistry with both her co-stars, Pablo Pauly as Félix and Charlie Anson as Oliver, one pairing trumps. What makes Jane Austen Wrecked My Life unique is the way it handles the love triangle angle. Yes, silly shenanigans occur, and a couple of scenes will induce second-hand embarrassment from the viewers on Agathe’s behalf. But there’s no big drama or bouts of miscommunication throughout. Instead, it’s all a matter of Agathe following her heart and doing what’s best for herself. There’s something so pure and authentic about the simplicity of Agathe’s path to finding love, leading to a more fulfilling experience.
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is undeniably the stuff hopeless romantic dreams are made of. With fantastical scenery drenched in pastel colours and an intoxicating score that takes the audience back to those epic tales of the Regency period, this picture is the quintessential example of yearning – for love and a better life for oneself.
Mae Trumata
Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is released nationwide on 13th June 2025.
Watch the trailer for Jane Austen Wrecked My Life here:
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