JANE EYRE (Mia Wasikowska) flees Thornfield Hall, where she has been employed as governess for Adele Varens, the young ward of Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender).
She seeks refuge with clergyman St John Rivers (Jamie Bell) and his sisters Diana and Mary. As Jane recuperates, she recalls her childhood with her cruel aunt Mrs Reed (Sally Hawkins) and as a pupil at Lowood charity school, run by the sadistic Mr Brocklehurst.
Once Jane comes of age, she finds employment at Thornfield, where Mr Rochester falls under her spell. However, something wicked lurks in the upstairs attic.
Elegantly adapted for the screen by Moira Buffini, Jane Eyre condenses the source novel into two hours of yearning and regret.
Wasikowska and Fassbender lead an exemplary ensemble cast, including Dame Judi Dench as a bustling maternal figure, and Hawkins as a lady of the manor who can turn a room icy cold with a single glance.
