The goal of finding the perfect man seems to be the driving force for most run-of-the-mill romantic comedies, but it’s given a bit of a twist in “Austenland,” the feature debut of “Napoleon Dynamite” and “Nacho Libre” co-writer Jerusha Hess. You see, the perfect man in this movie isn’t exactly real but he is famous… he’s Mr. Darcy, the heartthrob in Jane Austen’s “Pride And Prejudice”… Really….
Based on the novel by Shannon Hall, the film is led by Keri Russell, and tells the story of an Austen/Darcy-obsessed young woman who travels to England to a full-blown theme park dedicated to the author, but of course, nothing is quite as she thought it would be. But naturally, the strings of romance are plucked and comedy and love ensues. It looks like a pretty cutesy, girls-night-out kinda flick with Russell doing her charming best. Full disclosure weren’t too fond of it at Sundance, with our man on the ground saying it’s “playful,” containing some “great comic performances,” but ultimately “it doesn’t all come together.”
