Persuasion Review: This Austen Adaptation Struggles to Find Itself
The plethora of Austen renditions run the gauntlet in regards to quality and popularity, some becoming classic cinema and others forgotten. Persuasion misses the mark, although it is entertaining.
Based on Austen’s shortest completed novel, Persuasion tells the story of almost-spinster Anne Elliot and her extremely messy and emotionally distressing love life.
Dakota Johnson plays Anne in a way that is confusing.
She’s the worse part of the adaptation, a misfit among a cast that includes Richard E. Grant as Sir Walter Eliot and Cosmo Jarvis as Captain Wentworth, both of whom look like they are meant to act in a period drama.
Whose idea was it to turn Jane Austen into Fleabag? Johnson’s wannabe Phoebe Waller-Bridge winks and gives knowing glances to the viewer. These actions distract from the plot and generally don’t make any sense.
I didn’t mind the first-person narration since it follows the familiar Regency-era tropes of diary writing, letters, and spilling out one’s feelings. However, Johnson’s narration is stronger when she writes or reads things out loud, or even when she talks to her rabbit, instead of when she talks to the camera.
The Fleabag-esque nods are made worse by Johnson’s horrible and senseless dialogue that mashes together modern lingo with witty retorts. Somehow the “He’s a 10, but…” phrase was alive and well in 1817.
Anne is so emotionally distressed that she is referring to her almost betrothed in 19th century Bath as her “ex.” It is as if Johnson’s a character from modern times who has time-traveled to Regency England, à la Outlander.
Anne Elliot: Now, we’re worse than exes. We’re friends.
Johnson isn’t the only aspect of Persuasion that feels out of place. The film’s style and cadence are confused. It’s hard to tell if it’s striving for a more classic Austen adaptation or a creative remake.
There are times in Persuasion when it feels as though, creatively, it is meant to follow the path of Emma. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Emma is a campy and almost absurd film.
This influence does explain the direct-to-camera eye contact. There are a few scenes where the campy humor nearly works, such as the tea scene with the Elliots’ distant cousins and the beginning when Jane introduces her family.
Then there are times when the film seems really serious; the scenes on the cliff between Jane and Captain Wentworth feel all too reminiscent of Pride And Prejudice (2005). But, because Persuasion is confused, the love scenes are forced and nearly mock great scenes from serious Austen adaptations.
Still, Austen fans can find the movie fun to watch. Henry Golding and Cosmo Jarvis are good in their love triangle roles. I absolutely swooned over Wentworth’s letter.
Was Johnson miscast? Probably. Overall, Persuasion is sloppy but still worth a watch.
What did you think of Netflix’s Persuasion? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Persuasion is available to stream on Netflix.
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Addie Christianson
Addie is passionate about costume dramas, and loves a good British period piece. She is an avid traveler who also enjoys to writing about culture, lifestyle, and fashion. Find more of her work on her website www.addiechristianson.com