Persuasion
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Movie Reviews of Persuasion
Movie Review: Great Adaptation of Persuasion
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a big Jane Austen fan. Jane Austen is my favorite author of all time. If I had to travel back in time, she would be near the top of my list of people I would like to meet and have a conversation with. I relate to the fact that Jane Austen never got married. I relate to the fact that she had a bond with her sister. I relate to the fact that she loved writing. I could watch any Jane Austen adapted version or themed movie a hundred times and never get tired. The same goes to leaving my TV on Masterpiece Theatre. Maybe I was a British woman in one of my past lives. I just love watching British period films. Anyways, this is my favorite film version of "Persuasion", and I've seen every single Jane Austen film out there. I always cry each time I see this version. Sally Hawkins is such a great actress and she does an excellent job as Anne Elliot. I really relate to this storyline. I've had boyfriends in my life, and I've always been the good, loyal, honest, trustworthy girlfriend, but I can honestly and genuinely say that I never experienced being deeply and passionately in love with someone. I'm 37, and I've never been in love with a man or told a guy that I was in love with him. To tell a guy that I was in love with him would be a major deal for me. And I've never ever done that because I don't take saying things like that lightly. There was one guy who I think had the potential for me to have those feelings for the first time but I think my current health problems scared him away. I think of Julia Roberts and Javier Bardem in the "Eat, Pray, Love" movie. I think Javier's character says to Julia's character, "You don't need a lover, you need a champion." When he said that, I thought to myself, "Word!" It's going to take a champion of a man to take on me when it comes to love. Anyways, I think Jane Austen books and films fill that void when it comes to the romance department for me. When I watch this film, I really relate to Sally Hawkins' potrayal of Anne. If I was in love with a guy, I would totally be like Anne. This movie has a great cast, but I think this film is excellent because of Sally Hawkins. I found myself feeling my heart racing and being emotional because of Sally Hawkins' portrayal of Anne. And I liked the way that this movie ended. If you want to see an excellent Jane Austen movie, this is it.Movie Review: A pleasure
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered this right after seeing it on PBS. I have the old version too (starring Amanda Root), and I think they are both wonderful in their own way. I have read the book as well. I really like the main actor and actress in this version. He is very handsome and his long, sad glances at Anne are enough to make you ache for him. My favorite scene was when he first sees her in Bath and tells her: " ... He ought not. He does not." Perfect.
Sally Hawkins is wonderful, and - unlike some of the other reviewers - I thought she was very attractive. Perfect for the Anne Elliott character, her beauty was subtle and grew on you with time. Her inner beauty (sweetness, character) made her more outwardly beautiful as the story progressed. I was very moved by the scenes in which she was writing in her journal and looking directly at the audience, so I don't understand why some people have disliked that so much. It worked for me! I especially liked the scene when she is anticipating the dinner with the Crofts. Her spoken journal entry is very poetic, moving and helps the viewer to understand what she is thinking and feeling.
I also disagree with the reviewers who said she was whiny or that she just ran to her room and cried all of the time. Not true! Her strong, capable character is revealed in so many ways throughout the movie: She took care of her father's house. She saved them from being in even worse financial trouble. She took care of her sister, even though Mary was very annoying and not really sick. She took care of her nephew when his own mother didn't want to be troubled. She was a favorite of the Musgroves and of the Crofts and of Lady Russell. She was loyal to her old poor schoolfriend, even when her family disapproved. Her father's solicitor said she was the only daughter with any sense. She took care of Louisa after the fall. She graciously leaves when Mary insults her. etc. etc.
I have watched this version several times. I wish the ending weren't so rushed and I wish the kissing scene in Bath was more flattering for the actress, but I admire the way the director was able to edit the movie down to such a short duration but still include all of the essentials to tell a very moving story. Well done.
Movie Review: Why is everyone panning this version????
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all I DO NOT understand all of this negative feedback, I think some of you need to CALM YOURSELVES DOWN! Come on, already! I am an avid fan of all the classics and own most versions of Austen's works on DVD. I was excited at the prospect of all the new Austen versions, knowing of course that they would all be different from previous versions -to be expected, and as always the case with book to movie adaptations, different from the book in ways as well.
With all that said, I got my copy of Persuasion and sat down with an, and I emphasize, "open mind" which I think many readers here have not viewed it with. It is a slightly different look at the story with the central focus being on Anne and Captain Wentworth. Just like in the new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice which was shortened and which downplayed a lot of the other characters in the story so as to focus on the two leads, I thought they did a similar job in this version. I thought their interactions were very sweet and I'm glad that was the focus. You really got inside Anne's head in this version and could really feel what she was feeling.
Granted, they did change a few scenes around near the end but then again, it is a different take on this novel and different from the 90's one, and if they did all scenes the same well, that would just be boring. They stayed along the lines of what you can imagine Austen writing.
--> AND to ALL those who panned the 'marathon' scene at the end, well listen here a moment: picture living 27 years with a family like Anne's and how rudely they treated her and how absurd and pompous and icky they were, and then picture having a man like Captain Wentworth who WANTED YOU, and didn't care that you jilted him 8 years ago and was HOT, wouldn't you be running like mad crazy down the street after him???? Hello! I'd be kicking my heels up so fast all you'd see was a big cloud of dust hurdling down the street after me.
Please, to all potential buyers, don't let all these other negative reveiws persuade you against seeing this version. It is worth viewing!
Movie Review: Wonderful Movie in Context
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my favorite movie. I've watched it nearly ten times in the few weeks I've owned it. I have read and appreciated all of Jane Austen's work.
Many critics site the movie's artistic liscense where it deviates from the book in particular ways. I watched an interview with the director who answered critics and literary fans of Jane Austen's cry "Where is the rest of the book?" with this "It's in the book." This film adaptation does move very quickly and has been pared down to the quintesential love story between Anne and Wentworth. For the runtime deemed suitable, characters are developed as much as possible, but being an Austen work, there are a lot of characters and withouth it being several hours long a great deal of character development is done by having to pay close attention to the conversations between characters in each scene.
This film has afforded me the opportunity to introduce Jane Austen and this particular work, often overshadowed by her others, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility with my friends and husband, who would never think to crack open her books. For that I am profoundly grateful. This adaptation of Persuasion lies in the middle of two territories. The first being completely acurate and true to the novel and filmed with all the conventions of Austen's time and customs honored making for a sometimes pushing the viewer to a purely auditory enjoyment and the other end of the spectrum where it has been too modernized, characters doing things unheard of the time, big grandeous high budget filming, etc.
Where in the middle it falls should be up to the viewer to decide, but it is definently worth viewing. DIe hard Austen fans should not let the deviations destroy the appreciation that Austen's work has again found a new voice in a new decade and those new to Austen or Persuasion who will no doubt enjoy the love story, scenery, and interplay between the characters just might find themselves wanting to pick up the book, and find out what all the movie left out.
Movie Review: Superb Adaption for a 21st Century Audience
Summary: 5 Stars
Our family owns and has viewed each of the prior adaptations of Persuasion a number of times. It is my favorite Jane Austen novel. I love it.
However for a 21st Century audience the prior adaptations are simply too slow paced, oblique, and period bound to fully hold their attention. Here Simon Burke (the screenplay adapter) has done a masterful job of speeding the pace and unraveling the understated underlying emotions motivations and thoughts of the main characters (Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot in particular) without compromising the intent of the source novel.
Even though I know the story intimately I was on pins and needles throughout. At times the suspense was nearly unbearable. As a result, this is now my favorite screen version of this classic novel.
As to the imbalanced reviews of my fellow Jane Austen aficionados who ravaged this production simply because it fails to tightly adhere to the original manuscripts of our most beloved 19th Century Authoress - and to borrow from William Shatner's entreaty to similarly obsessed Star Trek fans - I would simply say, "Get a life!"
Frankly the elitist, exclusive attitude of those in the "purist" camp of Jane Austen fandom is wearing thin. The works of other classic authors (Shakespeare, Dickens, the Brontė sisters, etc.) have been reinterpreted throughout the ages for stage and film to make the work more relevant to their contemporary audience so I'm puzzled as to why the fans of Austen felt that her work would somehow be exempted. Further, now that the work of Miss Austen is riding a wave of media popularity bordering on "Rock Star" status such interpretations are inevitable - expect to see a lot more of this folks!
As for the rest of you dear readers I would merely add, get it and watch it - you'll love it. Then double your pleasure by reading the book too.