It is a truth universally acknowledged that all rom-coms owe something to the work of Jane Austen. Modernisations of her stories, be they direct copies (Clueless, Bridget Jones' Diary) or more loose adaptations, can thank Austen for being one of the first female writers to create complex and nuanced female characters.

However, there is an issue. Mr Darcy isn't actually real, neither is Colonel Brandon, nor any of her other misanthropic but charming suitors with hearts of gold. It seems that Austen had as much trouble telling amiable potential partners from corrupt cads as we do, and this wrong footing is central to her work.

So too, for Jane Austen Wrecked My Life. Agathe (Camille Rutherford) lives and works in Paris with her friend Félix (Pablo Pauly) and her sister and nephew. After an accident, Agathe suffers from anxiety that prevents her from travelling. She seems stuck in a repetitive rut, recommending books to visitors to her bookshop and flirting (but never actually doing anything) with Félix.

Against Agathe's wishes, Felix sends some of her writing to a Jane Austen retreat in England, and she is invited to attend. This finally triggers some long-awaited affection between the two friends, but it arrives just before she departs. When she arrives in England, she is met at the dock by Oliver (Charlie Anson), an apparently rude and arrogant literature professor, who happens to be Jane Austen's great (times a bunch) nephew but decidedly not a fan of her work. An immediate tension grows between them, and Agathe finds herself – after a long dry patch, both creatively and erotically – caught between the two men.

Contrary to its title, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is clearly written with real affection for the author. While undoubtedly a modern interpretation, its country home setting, wince-inducing characters and Agathe's awkward missteps would not feel out of place in Austen's novels. At the same time, the film manages to feel both French and English. Not least because even the English characters primarily speak French. The humour, too, is quite modern, at times crude but angled towards the awkward mockery of difficult characters. Agathe is an Austen-esque heroine in both manner and physicality. She is an intelligent and witty match to her potential male partners, whilst possessing a gangly and shy countenance that somewhat undermines that wit. While the love triangle is what pulls us through the main beats of the story, it never feels entirely central to it, being more about Agathe finding her feet and her way in the world and overcoming her trauma.

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is a fresh and affectionate take on these well-known and loved stories. It should be appreciated by Austen fans, and anyone who appreciates a well-written love story that isn't really about love.

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life is in UK cinemas now.