Film Reviews & Movie Analysis

Me thinks the lady doth talk too much…

I love an adaptation, partially because I am equally fond of books alongside film and television so it’s nice to see the two marry – also, I really enjoy shoehorning the words, ‘I read the book’.

Persuasion is based on Jane Austen’s sixth novel of the same name (which I’ve read) and focuses on heroine Anne Elliot’s (Dakota Johnson) constant sadness over being steered away by her family from marrying a man she loved. The book ranks as my least least memorable Austen novel and as such I for one was glad to hear of an adaptation in the works to breath some life into a tale I had no inclination of re-reading.

Before I go any further with the review, it’s important to note that there are two kinds of people when it comes specifically to period drama adaptations. There are purists, and there is everyone else.

The purists shouldn’t bother watching new takes on their beloved novel (but always do) as they never have anything positive to say. They typically want a visual transcription; something that follows the book to the letter, from clothing to dialogue to casting. Don’t get me wrong, everyone else can still find flaws with an adaptation but they are more open to taking it as it is. They don’t particularly mind the baroque twangs of a Taylor Swift song in the background or if the script skips a few scenes for the purpose of keeping the movie under two hours.

To surmise, if you enjoyed (or openly gave a go) Sanditon (2019-Present), The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020) or even Mary, Queen of Scots (2018) then I don’t need to persuade you to watch this latest period drama, with a twist.

Persuasion surprised me – which doesn’t happen often. Anne, for all her chatter was likable and relatively relatable. The awkward moments were timed well and held a palpable air that hand me wanting to clamp my hands over my eyes and at one point actually groaning out loud. Anne didn’t shirk from her role as protagonist either. She wasn’t a quietly witty wall flower waiting for her moment to bloom (or you know, marry). She was narry without a glass (read: bottle) in hand, confronted her vapid family members, and was content in her solitude of impending spinsterhood.

She was also a little flirty, and who wouldn’t be with Henry Golding playing a tempting Mr. William Elliot.

My least favourite thing about Persuasion was how much Anne talked to or looked at the camera. We were ten minutes in and I was already fed up with her borderline narcissistic narrations which, albeit humourous, quickly fell humdrum. Moments I wanted to quietly observe a character to get an idea of their personality – Anne swooped in to take off that burden. The over-reliance on Anne’s expositions felt lazy, and there’s nothing to comment on beyond that.

I know four paragraphs in I went on and on about closed-minded novel traditionalist. I forgot to mention that I’m part purist, and that part of me flared during brazen improprietous moments throughout the film. Let’s just say I was more concerned with the honour of women than the women and found it odd that for the sake of a quick laugh the foundations of society – the world itself, were so quickly abandoned.

Okay. I’m back to being a modernist of sorts, which means it’s time for a quick confession. I was going to avoid mentioning the F word but, well… F it. I’ve never seen Fleabag, which is what this latest adaptation has been vocally compared to. I can however attest to the fact Anne Elliot did come across as a self-pitying, self-centred, crude drunk which for the most part I wasn’t mad at.

Jane Austen adaptations are always lurking around the corner, with scripts stretching from scrupulous to slight. In fact, Netflix are developing ‘The Netherfield Girls’ which has been described as “a fresh and contemporary take on Pride and Prejudice in the spirit of the Emma Stone teen comedy Easy A…” Heck if I enjoyed Lizzie Bennet as a Zombie Slayer, YouTuber and single thirty-something Londoner who am I to pre-judge?

Back to this 2022 reimagining of Persuasion, I’ll round up by saying, I look forward to rewatching this on a miserable day in winter with a large bottle of wine.