Let's begin the film review with this YouTube comment about the genius of the late hiphop producer J Dilla: "He didn't just chop a soul sample over some kicks and snares, he created a type of atmosphere that you could feel." The same thing can be said about Jordan Scott's handling of Cracks, a movie based on the novel Becoming Jane Eyre: Scott has created not just a plot you can follow, but an atmosphere you can feel and absorb. The film is like a planet that's nothing but an atmosphere—layers upon layers of warm air, vapors, mists, fog, and steam. If you try to land a spaceship on this world, you will go right through it and reappear on the other side.
The film moves between two haunting elements: an imposing manor (architecture) and a mysterious lake (nature). The manor is a boarding school for girls. The boarding school, St. Mathilda's, is on a green but rocky island off the coast of England. St. Mathilda's is considerably more worried about its reputation than it is about the education of its homesick pupils. The girls learn to write elegant letters, recite poetry, arrange flowers, and dive. This diving takes place at the other element, the lake, and is taught by a very seductive and slim woman, Miss G (Eva Green). Miss G has cast an erotic spell on the captain of the diving team, Di (Juno Temple). But this spell is broken by the arrival of a new girl, Fiamma (MarĂa Valverde), a Spanish aristocrat who has been around the world and attained a level of sophistication that's far above that of the other students and teachers. Miss G dumps Di and falls for Fiamma. Fiamma, however, rejects Miss G and exposes her as a phony. Nothing happens in the end. The film is a pleasure to watch. 
