Jane Wants a Boyfriend

source: Jane Wants a Boyfriend

(Flash Review) This was a straight-forward yet unique tale of romance that at times tugged the old heart strings. Jane is a high-functioning autistic woman in her mid-20s who lives with her parents. Her parents want to move away to pressure Jane's sister to take her into her home with her fiancé. So lots of family dynamics drama around how her sister and their parents assisting Jane. Yet early on a quirky normal fellow is struggling to blend in with assorted social crowds and he meets Jane and notices she is a little off yet is drawn in my her quirkiness and cuteness. So a rather well-acted and unique love story ensues with a typical story arc around the presumed challenges of Jane's behavior and a blossoming relationship. The film was not really inventive with the shot framing but this was an actor-driven movie with believable acting and depth.

As a female living with Asperger's I can easily relate to Jane's situation. This movie was beautifully made and I cried more than once. The portrayal of Aspergers/Autism is very well done but you always have to have in mind that everyone with autism is different and can experience different difficulties with life. For me though, it was very easy to identify with Jane. I sat through the whole movie hoping that Jack and Jane would get together and I cried so much when she finally found love.

Jane (Louisa Krouse) is a young woman with Aspergers syndrome who very much wants to find her first date with the help of her older sister Bianca (Eliza Dushku). Just a film that feels so natural and kind-hearted you can't help but feel warm and fuzzy after watching! Everyone's performances are great from Louisa Krouse's outstanding role as Jane through to Gabriel Ebert as love interest Jack. Each character is given a good amount of time on screen; fully fleshed by the cast and writer Jarret Kerr. I really cared about what was going to happen to Jane, Bianca and Jack and it was a thoroughly engaging, feel-good and also informative watch on the subject of autism that I think will feel very familiar and relatable to those with the condition and relatives of the person

If you are looking for a heart warming film, that's honest, different and interesting with no unlikeable characters, this is it. I'm not a romance film kind of girl, but this was definitely 101 minutes of my life well spent.

I have access to online movies via Kanopy through my public library. I was looking for something to pass the time away during this quarantine period and decided to give this one a try. I wasn't expecting much. However what I found is a really nice movie about a 20-something young lady in New York with Aspergers. She is Jane, played by Louisa Krause in a way that reminded me of Claire Danes playing Temple Grandin. Her older sister, a Broadway actress, is very protective of her but Jane is very determined to blaze her own way. Looking up her filmography I now realize I have seen Louisa Krause in a number of different movies but in non-memorable roles. I will remember her for this one, she is really outstanding.

"I am a spirit of no common rate. The summer still doth tend upon my state" declares Titania to Bottom in Act III Scene 1 of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". The gracious fairy queen has become a victim of a potion that has everybody falling in love with the wrong people. Her husband thought it would teach her a lesson for denying him. But after being dosed with the potion, she falls in love with Bottom (a commoner), who has been turned into a donkey. Love being blind, the joke is on her. In the play within a play of "Jane Wants A Boyfriend" (2015), Titania is being played by a stressed out Bianca, the title character's older sister. Shakespeare lets the audience share in his joke while viewers of "Jane Wants A Boyfriend" have to work a bit to figure it out. The joke being that Bianca's protectiveness toward her little sister is largely misplaced. Not only is it unnecessarily stressing out Bianca, it has become an obstacle to Jane's growth. Jane has Aspergers, but processes a lot more than she is given credited for by Bianca. Childlike in many ways she is perceptive enough at age 25 to realize that her existence is becoming precarious, that her dependency on her parents cannot continue much longer. Accordingly, she is forcing herself to interact more with people. Guidance for this interaction is provided by watching old movies and observing people, mimicking their speech patterns and facial expressions. She refers to this as practicing. Jack is the boyfriend that Jane wants. But like Titania's resentment of her husband's infidelities, Bianca disapproves of Jack's bed hopping and fear of commitment. She underestimates her little sister's off-kilter appeal and is afraid that any relationship she enters into with Jack will be brief. Another parallel between the two stories is the unlikelihood of the match; the play's fairy queen loving a commoner becomes a neurotypical loving an Aspie. In "Dream" this is part of the joke, in "Jane" it is in large part the reason I embraced the film. I like this film better than anything over the past couple of years. The ensemble casting and scripting was excellent, the acting-for-the-camera direction as good as you will find, the pacing perfect, and the editing solid. I especially like the scene transitions where the audio tracks begin a second before the new video track cuts in. The best of these when the film's title is said by Bianca over Jane's face and then later when the cheers and applause of the theater audience plays over the kiss. The film is full of tiny touches that you barely notice during the first viewing, like when Bianca thanks the janitor for not running the sweeper while she was talking to Jane. They go out on Bianca and not the title character. With that you realize that this is actually Bianca's story, that she is the character who changed during the course of the narrative. And with this you suddenly realize that Dushku's underplayed performance is every bit as good as that of Krause, something quite unexpected as she is rarely asked to do something this restrained. And be sure to watch the entire credit sequence because additional lines from the play are featured along with a several black and white sequences. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Jane Wants A Boyfriend, catalogued as a comedy/drama/romance, is a touching movie, even for those who never encountered an autist in real life. I wouldn't describe it as a comedy though, well at least I didn't laugh once, but it certainly got some emotions going, more teardrops than laughter though. The acting was good, from all of them. It isn't a big budget movie, and it doesn't need to be, as the story is simple but effective, everybody has the right to love or to be loved, no matter how different you are. Normally not the kind of movie I would go for but I'm glad I watched it.

I am a aspiring producer in film school and i love watching all sorts of films. I came across this film on t.v, I have to say a very good job done. The story is beautiful that sends a very positive and direct message to the audience. I was smiling all the way through and even teared up a bit. I loved the film and loved the message that was being portrayed, it was executed well and touches the heart.

'JANE WANTS A BOYFRIEND': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five) A romantic comedy, about a young woman with Asperger's syndrome; that's trying to find her first boyfriend (with the help of her overprotective older sister). The film was directed by William Sullivan, and it was written by Jarret Kerr; the two also teamed up (performing the same duties) for the 2012 feature 'PERCIVAL'S BIG NIGHT', and the 2012 short film 'COMEDIENNE'. This movie stars Louisa Krause, Eliza Dushku, Gabriel Ebert and Amir Arison. I really enjoyed it. Jane (Krause) is a young woman, with Asperger's syndrome, who lives with her parents (in Queens, New York); she's also never had a boyfriend. Bianca (Dushku) is her overprotective older sister; who's now moving to Brooklyn with her fiancé, Rob (Arison). Jane's parents are moving away, and they want Jane to move in with Bianca. Bianca and Rob aren't sure if they're ready for that kind of responsibility though, and to top it off Jane decides she wants her first boyfriend. Bianca's friend, Jack (Ebert), is quite interested in Jane, but Bianca is afraid he won't treat her right; due to his past womanizing ways. The movie's subject interests me, because I have multiple friends that have told me they think I have Asperger's. I'm quite certain I don't (especially after watching this movie), but I could still really relate to the lead character. I do have some similar social issues (and anxiety problems), and people around me often don't respect my individuality. I also have romantic troubles; but still my issues are quite different than Jane's (and similar at the same time). I still love the movie though, because I think it is inspiring (and very emotional); because of these themes. I think it's beautifully acted, written and directed. It's quite a moving film, especially for anyone who feels different! Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIFMQ3xbt9g