Persuasion review: Netflix’s new Jane Austen adaptation is at war with itself

Of all Jane Austen’s novels Persuasion It may be the most difficult to adapt to a modern audience. It contains some of Austin’s iconic wit, but it’s also one of the most pensive of her novels, built on social norms specific to regency-era societies.

But instead of working to resonate these themes in 2022, or taking the time to breathe the more thoughtful moments of the book, Netflix’s new film director, Carrie Cracknell, Persuasion, I decided to turn the hero into a #relatable mess. (Hashtags are needed here.) Fully detailed era adaptation turns into a painful jumble of movies. It adds a strange modern twist to the heroine, mostly in conflict with the tranquil regency romantic drama. All the stellar support casts are stalled by strange dialogue choices, as filmmakers try to make the film both an edgy, anachronistic take and a more traditional adaptation, failing in both.

[Ed. note: This review contains setup spoilers for Netflix’s Persuasion.]

Like the original Jane Austen novel, Persuasion Following the tragedy of Anne Elliott (Dakota Johnson), a 27-year-old woman on the verge of being unmarried by regency standards. Eight years ago, she turned down a proposal from a dashing but blunt sailor, apparently ruining her chances of romance. She lives with her father and her sister who are obsessed with her, but with naval officers when the extravagant spending of her family forces them to borrow their magnificent property. His wife is moving. Her wife’s brother is just Captain Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis) — Ann rejected when she was young and had great success in her Navy.

The biggest, most obvious, and most terrible flaw in the film was that screenwriters Ronald Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow decided to have Anne narrate the film for several mysterious reasons. is. Then, instead of just narrating it, she talks directly to the camera, glancing at it and rolling her eyes, depending on her unpleasant relatives.She is in the regency era FleabagEven if its characterization is in complete conflict with the original character.

To make Anne’s class expectations and the struggle against social norms more relevant, Kraknell and the writer clearly decided to make her a quirky free spirit. She gets drunk with wine and shouts Frederick’s name outside the window. Because she knows she’s at a party across the lawn that she can’t attend because she’s taking care of her nephew for her illness. She answers her sister’s egocentric walk in Italian. She wears the breadbasket as her hat and sprinkles a jelly mustache on her lips to entertain her young nephew.

Photo: Nickwall / Netflix

In the original book, Anne’s overall arrangement could all work, except that she is modest, kind, and wise. she. Making her a snappy, judgmental, cheeky heroine completely undermines her personality and eradicates the theme of her novel. Contrary to popular belief, not all Austin heroines are Lizzie Bennett or Emma Woodhouse. Much of Anne’s original journey is to realize that she doesn’t have to live up to her expectations. But her already sly and eccentricity completely defeats the entire character arc. It’s hard to believe that Anne, who runs out of breath and insults her family, is the same as Anne who succumbs to social norms.

It certainly doesn’t help that Johnson can’t bring out the same witty and pointed looks that made Phoebe Waller Bridge’s character Fleabag so iconic. She more or less makes the same perfectly pleasing face and sometimes raises her eyebrows every time she looks into her camera. It’s a shame when Johnson plays Anne as Anne-a gentle, competent, but deeply sad woman-she does a nice job. She looks at the beach, then Frederick, and without saying anything, her longing for the days gone by is clear. If the movie plays it all straight without the narration of the Fourth Wall, Johnson and Jarvis can indulge in really deep mutual pinning.

Photo: Nickwall / Netflix

Cracknell and other filmmakers can’t get away from stylish Bridgerton When Great-It’s a quirky anachronism, but in reality it doesn’t commit to the funky anachronistic atmosphere of those shows. Beyond Anne’s painful narration, the only other modern fragment is an unpleasant line that would otherwise feel completely out of place in a perfectly straight historical drama. Characters often blur things like “I’m an sympathizer!” Or, “if you’re 5 in London, if you’re 10 in Bath”, at the moment of complete disagreement in a typical dialogue at other times. From traditional orchestra scores to set and costume design, nothing else about this movie sticks to misplacement at the same time.

Aside from junky anachronisms and grating narration, the dynamic side characters do most of the hard work, but the movie is positively OK. All roles are beautifully cast, but not as much as Anne’s intolerable family. Richard E. Grant conducts all the scenes in which he is as a narcissistic Sir Walter Elliott. Crazy Rich Asians Star Henry Golding plays Anne’s distant cousin, who completely touts both sides of his character as fascinating and nifty.

Photo: Nickwall / Netflix

And as Anne’s sister Mary, Mia McKenna Bruce is a surprising scene stealer. She nauseates her, whispers her, and is completely unaware of her terrible behavior. She is a very fun example of a character that viewers don’t like. Unfortunately, Anne clearly tells the audience what Mary will do just before doing it, and explains how she reacts to the inconveniences around her that rob the audience of the performance of most of McKenna Blues’ powers. To do.

There are two movies fighting it on Netflix Persuasion.. One is a quirky, modern retelling, and the other is a more direct adaptation that remains loyal to the times. Perhaps the first one felt too risky in classical adaptation. Perhaps the second was too boring for filmmakers. whichever it is, Persuasion It’s a movie that is sandwiched between jarring tones and doesn’t commit to either. With just a little trimming, it will be a solid adaptation.It takes more ambition and effort than this movie shows to turn it into an anachronistic girl’s power story, but it’s can end. Instead, Persuasion Get caught up in a strange limbo and even the best of it can’t get out of the painful part completely.

Persuasion Currently on Netflix.