Rising filmmaker (and UCSC grad) Cary Joji Fukunaga wants to keep you guessing. His impressive first feature, Sin Nombre, was a gritty look at gang violence south of the border—in Spanish, yet. With his follow-up film, a new version of Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte's evergreen Victorian-era Gothic romance, not only does Fukunaga achieve a complete about-face, material-wise, his retelling proves to be a deeply felt, beautifully wrought little gem of mood and sensibility.
In this rich unveiling of the oft-told tale, Fukunaga finds a kindred spirit in scriptwriter Moira Buffini. No stranger to Victoriana (she wrote the witty adaptation of Posy Simmonds' Hardy-esque Tamara Drewe), Buffini's smart script mines every nuance of feeling out of Bronte's story, spoken and otherwise, combined with a meticulous sense of what was and was not done according to the mores of the day. Together, the filmmakers resist every temptation to resort to overheated melodrama, weaving instead a compelling narrative of urgent emotional suspense. (Read more)
(Above: Mia Wasikowska is the new Jane Eyre)
And speaking of the movies, the Santa Cruz Film Festival goes Hollywood with its 10-year Anniversary celebration, A Night of Old Hollywood Glamour, next Saturday, April 9, at Top of the Ritt downtown. Time to get your glam on at this festival kick-off event; you're invited to come dressed as your favorite movie star or movie character, strut dwn the red carpet, nibble horse d'ouvres, quaff champagne, bid on fabulous, locally-donated auction items, and watch a special sneak preview of this year's festival highlights. The full SCFF schedule (May 5 - 14) will be revealed at this time. Tickets available at the SCFF website.
