This 'Jane Eyre' is human, and originally divine

In its superbly spare execution, the newest adaptation of Jane Eyre is both faithful to Charlotte Bront�'s classic and distinctively original.

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  By Laurie Sparham, Focus Features

  See Jane: Mia Wasikowska has the titular role in the 27th filmed version of Charlotte Bronte's novel, which was first published in 1847.

By Laurie Sparham, Focus Features

See Jane: Mia Wasikowska has the titular role in the 27th filmed version of Charlotte Bronte's novel, which was first published in 1847.

It's a grittier and more subtle take, with handsome cinematic flourishes and an intriguing storytelling approach. The talented cast, spectacular cinematography and spot-on production design is guided by the sure hand of director Cary Joji Fukunaga.

His visceral style pays off, particularly in the scenes of Jane's punishing early experiences as an oppressed orphan. The lash of a cane, a slam into a wall, the ripping of flesh are as powerfully presented as the sumptuous, if haunting, stateliness of early 19th-century manor life in Thornfield Hall.

While Fukunaga's alchemy is evident in this subtly bewitching tale, the only drawback is the low-burner chemistry between the leads.

Mia Wasikowska beautifully captures Jane's watchful nature, intelligence and wounded spirit. Michael Fassbender powerfully portrays the surliness of the tormented Mr. Rochester. The sense of mystery surrounding him is palpable, as are his flashes of charm, though he may be too conventionally handsome for Bront�'s mercurial character.

What is lacking is a sense of their burgeoning passion.

* * * 1/2 out of four

Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Judi Dench, Sally Hawkins
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Distributor: Focus Features
Rating: PG-13 for some thematic elements, including a nude image and brief violent content
Running time: 2 hours, 1 minute
Opens Friday in select cities

Wasikowska delivers her lines knowingly. But something doesn't catch fire in her modulated scenes with Fassbender's brooding Rochester, the man who hires her as a governess to his young French ward.

While chemistry is an inexplicable connection between actors, the lack of sparks may have also had something to do with the breadth of the story, which spans nearly 20 years of Eyre's life. But in two hours it's a challenge to communicate the gradual build-up of affection.

All the other elements, however, come together powerfully. Gorgeously shot in somber tones, the mood is augmented by Dario Marinelli's evocative score. Menace lurks in every creak and shadow, while subtle levity provides some relief from the mounting tension.

The look of this version may be the finest of the 27 Jane Eyre film and television re-tellings. Close-ups, beautifully framed, capture nuance and detail while muted milky tones give the windswept moors a compellingly desolate quality.

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