Persuasion (I) (2022)
1/10
Not even close.
16 July 2022
Disclaimer: I love Austen, and I would classify myself as a purist. But I also understand that film is a different medium, sometimes modifications must be made. But the modifications made absolutely piss all over the original story.

-First, Dakota Johnson is completely miscast. Anne is supposed to be mournful and to a degree bitter. She thinks she's missed her chance. Dakota Johnson plays her as spunky and comedic. Totally wrong. The rest of the cast is fine, but left to play their roles opposite an inappropriately funny heroine.

-Anne is not an alcoholic. It wasn't charming or relatable.

-It seems like the directors watched the recent adaptation of Emma and Bridgerton and were like, let's try Persuasion. But let's half ass the costumes and make it a comedy.

-Ridiculous lines. "How would you dance to Beethoven?" Anne replies "Alone in my room to a bottle of red." Well, considering this takes place in the Regency era before records or radio, this is absurd. She also says "We're worse than strangers. We're exes." Mary talks about how she must love herself in order to be able to love others. Come on. I couldn't stop eye rolling.

-There are a bunch of double entendres that are neither clever nor funny.

-They break the fourth wall, and while it works in other movies like Mansfield Park, but it was done cleverly and sparingly. Dakota Johnson is constantly talking at us and it's obnoxious.

I was hoping someone would give Persuasion an update. I really enjoyed the 90s adaptation with Ciaran Hinds. But no one asked for this abomination.
384 out of 453 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed