Persuasion

For some reason, people seem to leave "Persuasion" out when they are naming Jane Austen adaptations. I find that lamentable, since it is such a wonderful film. It is exceedingly British, which means that Americans might find it a little hard to understand, but personally I think it is superb.

All the acting is stellar; I can't really identify a bad performance. Ciaran Hines especially shines as the warm but reserved Captain Wentworth.

Of all the Jane Austen adaptations (except "Pride and Prejudice") I believe "Persuasion" is the truest to the time period. The characters act within the conventions of regency England and seem to be comfortable doing so.

I would recommend this movie to any Jane Austen lover or a person who enjoys period films or classic literature. A person who does not fall into those categories might enjoy it as well, but is likely to find it slow and difficult to understand.

A real pleasure to watch and by far superior to the later version with Sally Hawkins. (Sally Hawkins was fine but the whole later production looks like a cartoon version compared with this elaborate rendering of Jane Austen's world.) Amanda Root as Anne Elliot is perfect as the underestimated and unloved daughter of a spendthrift snob of a father and a stepmother right out of Grimm's fairy tales. (Not to speak of being henpecked by her hyper nervous younger married sister.) They filmmakers also managed to make Amanda Root look rather unattractive at the beginning and one wonders how any man could have been so much in love with her as the still lamented Frederick Wenthworth, whom she sent away on the heavy influence of her family, because he was a nobody with no regular income at the time. Years have past when we comes back into her neighbourhood, apparently haunting her serenity and feeling her more wrong then ever before. Cairán Hinds is equally good as the former lover Wenthworth, still hurt and trying hard to ignore Anne and seemingly having a good time without her. Once Wentworth pops up every now and then we notice that Anne begins to look more pretty, even the presence of the man she thinks she has lost forever make her look so much better.

The beauty of this version is not only grounded on the excellent cast but also in the magnificent eye for details, and, although only running a mere 100 minutes, gives the viewer the appropriate feeling of time passing by very slowly (don't get me wrong, I don't speak of the pace inside the story), but time that painfully slows down when being with people you despise or you feel dispised by. I always cherished this book by Jane Austen very much and I'm so glad that finally I found this film that really does it justice!

I have been in love with this movie ever since the first time I saw it. Now I watch it whenever it's on. Ciaran Hinds is thoroughly likable, albeit a bit stiff, as the captain, and Amanda Root is subtle and sympathetic. Phoebe Nicholls may be the meanest sister since Cinderella's and she seems to do it effortlessly. That chameleon of an actress, Sohie Thompson, is at her whiny and annoying best. One of the things I enjoy most is the subtle changes in Roots character. You must watch as she goes from plain to pretty before your eyes, without ever a hint of acting. This movie is all about subtly and closeups, and facial expressions are the key to many an unspoken word. Even those with small roles last indelibly.

The recently released DVD provides a wonderful opportunity to revisit this exquisitely done Austen. Her usual themes of elligible young women and men, their social positions, and their incomes, are very much in evidence; however here there is something a bit quieter and more deeply felt, as two special people get a second chance at happiness. The direction is remarkably fine-tuned, and the production makes a welcome attempt to portray a more realistic glimpse of the life of various classes during the period than is usual. The flamboyant period costumes are particularly amusing, and the sight of the naval men striding along jettys in uniform with their very striking hats is one that has always stuck in my mind.

This is a very well put together, and yet very fragile movie that shows its budget constraints all too well. Beautifully acted and written, the direction unfortunately reveals the boxy nature of a TV screen. But despite the lack of impressive cinematography, the scenes are set up extremely well. The use of staging and visual metaphor are jaw-droppingly fantastic. Austen's relatively simple potboiler has been turned into a work of visual art that reveals the director's love for the material.

The music is done perfectly - it doesn't overpower or ever impose interpretation, instead it is just enough to maintain focus on the story. And I love the understated nature of the characters. It is easy to spot the hypocrites, but you can see why they are the way they are. It would be very easy to make Mr. Eliot into a simpering, unctious idiot - instead, he is played as a gentleman. It makes Anne a better character, and it makes the movie a better experience.