In all, I felt this version of the film was more dynamic. I loved Anthony Stewart Head as Walter Elliot, for instance.Īnd let’s not forget about the awesome Tobias Menzies as Mr.

There is also a delightful cast of other important characters in the story. This adaptation stars Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry-Jones as the main couple. They’ve both grown up and have moved past their youthful follies. After all, they are no longer a young couple by that time period’s standards. I think their romance, along with acting, had a mature feel to it. He doesn’t display too much emotion, either. Hinds’ Wentworth, on the other hand, is a solid man. We don’t see too many outward displays of emotion from Anne they mostly happen at intense times, like seeing Wentworth again after many years. Root’s portrayal of Anne is filled with quiet suffering and maturity with a serene presence. RELATED: ‘Persuasion’ 2022 Review: Netflix’s New Jane Austen Movie is Entertaining In fact, I feel like there is a golden age of Hollywood aura about this version, or maybe it’s just the aura that surrounded all BBC period dramas during the 1990s. The film has an almost timeless pace that matches the love of the main couple, playing out point for point from the source material. To read more about upcoming adaptations debuting this summer, click here.Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds star as the long-suffering couple in this adaptation and play their parts well. While sometimes a screen adaptation beautifully eternalizes a story in a new way, other times it reminds us of the incomparable beauty of the novel alone. In all, the line between adapting versus updating a book for screen is a fine one. The flirty, fun, rom-com vibe is ultimately not an honest invocation of Austen’s mature heroine. The film’s apparent modernization of the regency romance is a tactic that has found great success in regards to smash-hit Bridgerton but seems a misconceived attempt for the likes of Persuasion. For the bookish crowd, it is therefore disappointing to see the true spirit of the story thrown to the wayside by Netflix. In other words, the overall mood of Persuasion is deeply melancholic, a meditation on love and regret. Consequently, fans of the novel are concerned that the film’s take on Anne and Wentworth will lack the emotional depth and complexity of the original romance arc. If Netflix want a funny regency novel for the Bridgerton treatment, why not go with Northanger Abbey? Or literally ANY Georgette Heyer who has about 7 million unadapted books?- Ruth Ware June 14, 2022Ĭlearly, the core subject of contention here is the adaptation’s significant straying from the original text.ĭakota Johnson’s bolder portrayal of Anne Elliot differs substantially from the quiet, introverted protagonist that fills the pages of Persuasion. Here's the thing – a lot of Austen is funny, but Persuasion isn't.

Persuasion adaptation