Review: ‘Persuasion’
Review by Diego Peralta
Carrie Cracknell’s re-imagining of the last completed Jane Austen novel might not be charming enough to court audiences, but it certainly qualifies as a pleasant distraction.
Persuasion tells the story of Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson) and her time entangled in a love triangle. There is a combination of tones throughout the movie, where you can find perfectly adequate nineteenth-century novel adaption tropes such as elaborate outfits, carriages and dialogue focused in a very polite manner of speaking. But, at the same time, there is an abundance of self-awareness and fourth-wall breaking in this movie, with the protagonist constantly speaking directly into the camera.
This attempt at making the flow of the story more appealing to modern audiences can be a little bit distracting as the runtime carries on. Johnson’s charisma and lighthearted performance can make it seem bearable occasionally, but the truth is the concept of a character belonging to a Jane Austen world looking at the viewer and complaining about her status with her partner transitioning from exes to friends as if it were happening in a modern rom-com can get old rather quickly.
What is also regrettable for a love story is the fact that Anne and her main love interest, Captain Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis), don’t seem to have a lot of chemistry. While their interactions have the intention of demonstrating longing and desire, most of the time Wentworth gives the impression of not wanting to be there. In a few instances, there might be a spark between the leading couple but, sadly, one is left to wonder if they’d be better off with other people.
Speaking about love interests, Henry Golding‘s William Elliot is extremely likable and worthy romantic rival for Wentworth. His banter and flirting with Anne is playful and definitely cement him as a serious contender to court the leading lady. Understandably, her main focus would clearly be Wentworth but, after all, everything a good love triangle needs are two competing prospects that can both be taken seriously, which is gladly the case in this story.
Surprisingly, perhaps the true heart of the movie can be found in its secondary characters. Lady Russell (Nikki Amuka-Bird) functions as a confidant of Anne as well as a sort of mother figure. They constantly gossip about each other’s romances and show true support to one another when they feel troubled. Amuka-Bird’s performance as the kind and loving counselor was entirely amusing and happily carried every scene she was in.
Another delightful addition to the supporting cast comes in the form of Richard E. Grant‘s Sir Walter Elliot, Anne’s superficial and wealth-seeking father. While the amount of time he appears on screen is rather short, it is still enough to establish a few laughs with his irreverence and lack of self-awareness, providing the type of annoying character that you can’t stand to see but, at the same time, can’t seem to get enough of.
The production design is lovely and can transmit the feeling of an older England, full of open fields with constantly cloudy weather, combined with nostalgic beaches crafted for sentimental confessions. Perhaps in another adaptation with more passion, courage and a voice of its own, there could’ve been a truly enchanting narrative able to transmit Austen’s signature dilemmas of the heart. Dilemmas that this adaption can’t elaborate in a fascinating enough manner.
For all of its good intentions at trying to modernize a classic romance, Persuasion takes a very slow pace to move along a romance that doesn’t feel very sincere, leaving the audience at a point where they might begin to root for William Elliot to marry Anne, have Captain Wentworth leave on a boat and, frankly, just be done with the whole thing. It is possible that finding a cast with more chemistry and taking around fifteen minutes off of the movie’s runtime could’ve done wonders for the final product.
This adaptation is by no means terrible, but don’t go in expecting anything more than a mildly pleasing amusing romance to watch during a rainy day. Hopefully, you might share Anne’s preference of a warm bath with a bottle of red wine nearby and just then this film might begin to feel as enchanting and joyful as it is clearly attempting to be. – Diego Peralta
Rating: 2/5
Directed by Carrie Cracknell and starring Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis and Henry Golding, Persuasion is now available to stream exclusively on Netflix.