Jane Eyre

When orphaned governess Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) arrives at imposing Thornfield Hall, she's intrigued by her brooding wealthy employer, Rochester (Michael Fassbender). His dark moods and the strange occurrences in the house lead her to discover a terrible secret that he had hoped to hide from her forever.

Charlotte Brontë's Victorian romance is no stranger to the silver screen, but Sin Nombre director Cary Fukunaga's affecting and beautifully mounted adaptation is among the best. Sometimes, casting can make all the difference. In this case, Australia's Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) plays the determined Jane Eyre opposite Ireland's Michael Fassbender (Fish Tank) as the world-weary Edward Rochester (neither actor betrays their country of origin). Fukunaga begins with Jane's escape from Rochester's High Gothic Thornfield Hall before flashing back to the days when the plainspoken orphan lived with her cruel and resentful aunt (an unsympathetic Sally Hawkins). The aunt ships her off to a loveless charity school, where she still manages to receive a fine education, after which she lands a position as governess for Rochester's ward, Adèle. Though his housekeeper (Dame Judi Dench, excellent) makes Jane feel welcome, the brooding Rochester attempts to mock and demean her, but the quick-witted 19-year-old can hold her own. What might offend a more superficial man intrigues her employer (played by a gent more handsome than the author intended). Sparks fly, but he expresses greater interest in a local beauty. Just as Jane finally pierces Rochester's armor, she discovers his terrible secret, and hits the road. She meets a kindly missionary (Jamie Bell) and his sweet sisters, who offer her the family she never had, before a sequence of well-plotted developments allow Jane to forge her own future. For once, no one can stop her, making for a swoon-worthy, if bittersweet conclusion. --Kathleen C. Fennessy