A Bela e a Fera

The 'modern day' working girl patter of this script kept me wondering how long this movie been gathering dust in a can on the shelf of some Toronto warehouse

The performances are pretty good but the script and direction, which somehow manage to make the Austen plot seem plodding, have all the hallmarks of a five year old Canadian Lifetime movie. I can't believe I paid to rent this.

What a disappointment. Had high hopes especially with Alicia Witt and Bebe Neuwirth.

But though based on the Austen novel, this movie lacks the integrity, intelligence and charm of Austen. Also worth noting that Persuasion is more serious than Austen's other work.

In its modern interpretation, the movie essentially celebrates consumerism, lack of ethics at work, rampant EEO violations at work, work conflict of interest, snarky objectification etc. Basically the Sex and the City version of Austen.

But even as a standard rom-com without the Austen reference, the whiny characters result in a charmless movie.

I love Jane Austen, as in read the books, seen the movies, and so on. As much as I wanted to like this, there was no flow to it, this film seemed to stumble along rather than flow. I am not sure that the Owen character was miscast as I felt zero connection with him as a human being, and even less between him and other characters. This could have been beautifully sad, funny and uplifting, but it is not. That makes me sad. If you want to honor Jane Austen's writing and a particular book, please do it with more life and more joy than this. I would say, if you love Jane Austen, watch it, but know that it is not what you are hoping for.

Nominally based on a Jane Austin novel from well over a century ago yet much of the dialog was Gen Z slang, or #Hashtag or something. Bleeper instead of Twitter (before X). But it wasn't all that slang. Grayson claimed not to understand any of it and spoke in his own style. Wren and Owen often quoted Austen. All to say, the dialogue kept me alert. The lifestyles of the characters followed much the same lines as their dialogue generally leaning toward the social media dominated society.

This isn't the cliche laden rom/com, but it is supposed to be a rom/com. That too kept me alert because couples seemed to be hooking up right and left and then sometimes unhooking, but seemingly not the obvious lead couple of Own and Wren. I didn't think Shane McRae had chemistry with Alicia Witt.

I've long been a fan of Witt, but she hasn't been as active acting since this movie as she was before it. She has been concentrating on her music. Her character here was not unusual for her, but I think her performance was not her best and she got lost a little in the crowded field here despite being the headliner.

Since I haven't read that Austen book, I can't comment on how closely related is to the source material. But I will say aside from the usual conflicts that you'd expect from a Hallmarkesque movie. It is a whole convoluted mess, but an enjoyable, laughable convoluted mess.

The characters themselves definitely represent the current masses due to modern resources. But that doesn't distract from the undertones of how social media can shape and form our lives, as well as how family can be such an influence on your own views as a individual.

Wren, the heroine of the movie was definitely on the merry-go-round of life circling three men, having a connection with all three of them.

But who to choose?

The ex, the newbie, or the set-up?

Definitely give it a shot but while I say this, it doesn't mean this is a masterpiece. It's not but it is quite funny at times.