Persuasion: Film Review
The new Netflix adaptation of Jane Austen’s Persuasion has been completely savaged by critics, so I felt it was my moral duty to see if it was really that bad – and it’s not the “disaster” I was expecting.
The film stars Dakota Johnson as Anne Elliot, a young woman who was persuaded (hence the title) to call off her engagement to naval officer Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis) because of his low social status and lack of fortune. The film picks up seven years later when the now-esteemed Wentworth returns home and sees Anne once again – will he give her a second chance?
The best thing to do before seeing this film is to manage your expectations. If you’re an Austen enthusiast expecting a word-for-word faithful retelling, this movie will probably leave you enraged. If you go into it knowing that is a very loose and modernised adaptation with Fleabag and Bridget Jones vibes, you might be better prepared. Perhaps because I don’t know the source material very well and cannot quote lines from it, I was able to accept this version for what it is more easily.
This Persuasion, which I’ve dubbed “the Fleabag-ification of Austen”, is played like a satirical comedy. The classic Austen story and the period setting and costumes remain but the dialogue has been brought bang up to date and isn’t supposed to be taken seriously. It is irreverent, quirky and tongue-in-cheek and this is most obvious when Johnson is breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the audience or simply giving them a knowing look.
Modernising Persuasion isn’t a bad idea in itself and probably wouldn’t have been considered a disaster if the screenplay was better. It isn’t well written and that makes the anachronistic language more glaring. Hearing a person in period garb saying, “It’s often said that a five in London is a 10 in Bath” is pretty cringe, let’s face it. Also, it’s nowhere near as funny as it wants to be or thinks it is. It was amusing at certain points but I don’t think the plot really lends itself to big laughing moments.
Director Carrie Cracknell must have become so caught up in giving the film buckets of personality that she lost sight of the central story – the relationship between Anne and Wentworth. I didn’t care about it or have much interest in it or feel anything about them getting back together. Anne is supposed to be devastated about their break-up and longing for them to get back together and I felt none of that as they had zero chemistry.
Both Johnson and Henry Golding as her cousin/possible love interest (ewww) understood the assignment and embraced the quirky nature of this adaptation. They are both charming and have a light-hearted approach, and her British accent was pretty decent. However, Jarvis – who I usually rate – didn’t get the memo and was in a different movie than everyone else. He was just so serious! The central relationship was tonally very awkward.
I realise I’ve spent most of my review slagging the film off when I began by saying it wasn’t that bad. And that’s because, despite all these issues, I still enjoyed it. Sure, the dialogue needed work, the relationship didn’t engage me and Jarvis was miscast, but it wasn’t a total disaster because I still had fun with it. And you just might too!
Streaming on Netflix now