Persuasion movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Persuasion

This new Jane Austen adaptation releases globally on Netflix on July 15, 2022.

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hour 47 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: A-

IN A NUTSHELL:

Living with her snobby family on the brink of bankruptcy, Anne Elliot is an unconforming woman with modern sensibilities. When Frederick Wentworth—the dashing one she let get away—crashes back into her life, Anne must choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart when it comes to second chances.

The movie is adapted from the Jane Austen novel with screenplay help from Alice Victoria Winslow and Ron Bass. The film was directed by Carrie Cracknell, who is an acclaimed British theater director. This is her first feature film debut! She explained her unique perspective on this classic story by stating, “We wanted to adapt this story with a version of Anne who’s incredibly contemporary, strident, and funny. Someone who messes up, gets herself into awkward situations and gets things wrong. We wanted to take the spirit of the original character and drag her into the current day. What excited me most was the idea of a younger generation coming to the material and finding themselves represented in more aspects of the story than ever before. We wanted to honor the tropes and traditions of Jane Austen while making the characters more diverse, current, and emotionally available, where people could really see themselves in the characters.”

THINGS I LIKED:

I was surprised to see Dakota Johnson in a British role in this new Jane Austin adaptation, but I was pleasantly surprised. She offered an elegant maturity and a charming element every time she broke the 4th wall by talking to the audience directly. The dialect coach opted for a more modern English accent than what would have been heard during Jane Austin’s day. We also get to hear Dakota speak Italian in the film! About the movie, Dakota Johnson stated, “Women couldn’t choose who they wanted to be with for love, in that era. They had to choose for status, money, and security and I think we’re breaking that mold as Jane Austen often did in her novels. Women in her novels had more of a mind than they were allowed to have, choosing the path they wanted for their lives and choosing love over finance and status.”
The talented cast also includes Henry Golding, Cosmo Jarvis, Richard E. Grant, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ben Bailey Smith, Edward Bluemel, and Izuka Hoyle.
There is a lovely musical score and closing song.
The subtle tweaks really work and give the movie a more contemporary feeling.
Fun fact #1: Henry Golding had just had a baby girl a few weeks before filming, so he proudly spent time showing the cast and crew photos of his baby.
Fun fact #2: Richard E. Grant does a terrific job playing one of the vainest men in literature: Sir Walter Elliot. I got a kick out of the 6 portraits that he hung in his living room. Richard E. Grant stated that he considered the character to be hilariously narcissistic and a true gift of a role.
So many fun and delicious lines of dialogue. Thank you, Jane Austin and the writing team.
Fun fact #3: Real homes were used in England.
Fun fact #4: Filming took place in the summer where temperatures and sunshine were unusually strong for Lyme Cobb, England, so the cast was told to keep out of the sunshine so that no one would get sunburned.
Fun fact #5: Louisa is a character who falls off a high wall in one scene. Jane Austen wrote about that moment in the exact same spot in Lyme Cobb.
Fun fact #6: About 7,400 cups of tea were consumed during the filming!
Millennials will be able to relate to the support animal used by Anne in the movie: a cute bunny that Dakota Johnson pets and holds in several scenes.
I’ve been to Bath, England, and thought it was gorgeous. It was fun to see some of those beautiful buildings and landscapes.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

The tears on Anne’s face during the concert looked so contrived and reminded me of the Julia Roberts moment at the opera in the movie Pretty Woman.
There is a couple at the end of the movie that visually looked completely mismatched. I’m sure it was intentional to get a laugh, but it was kind of disarming. In fact, none of the couples seemed to really work.
The kisses had zero chemistry. Boo!
So many problems could have been solved if people just communicated. ha ha Jane Austen’s books are like that though.
Purists may not like the diverse class, which wasn’t seen in Jane Austin’s day.
True Regency fans might miss all of the lace, frill, and bonnets. The costume designer, Marianne Agertoft, opted for a more minimalist aesthetic for clothing and hairstyles. The color palette was deliberately designed to feel more contemporary.
The exaggerated characters help you spot the predictable ending.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Most kids will be completely bored. Some adults will be too unless they’re fans of Regency romance.
A woman falls off a stone wall and gets seriously hurt.

THEMES:

Second chances
Money and class status
Family
Duty
Love
Listening to your heart
Making your own choices for your life vs. being persuaded by others to do what they think is best for you
Regency-period expectations for men and women
Being self-aware

INTERESTING LINES:

* “The truest evidence of an inferior mind is to allow oneself to be persuaded away from one’s deepest convictions.” – Captain Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis)

“There’s nothing worse than thinking your life is ruined and then realizing you’ve got much, much further to fall.” – Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson)
“Now we’re worse than exes. We’re friends.” – Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson)
“It’s okay to find love on your own terms.” – Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson)
“Don’t let anyone tell you how to love or whom to love.” (Dakota Johnson)