Customer Reviews

Persuasion

5 star:		(122)
4 star:		(73)
3 star:		(31)
2 star:		(59)
1 star:		(45)

 

 

"Persuasion" is tied with "Pride & Prejudice" as my top favorite Jane Austen novel. I was looking forward to this version, after being a little disappointed with the 1995 adaptation (actors were a bit too old for their roles, I thought, but that's another review).

While "Northanger Abbey" is a story of young love, "Persuasion" is a story of love lost. Anne Eliott was once engaged to Frederick Wentworth but has had to give up the engagement due to the persuasion of her friend Lady Russell. Anne is the daughter of a baronet and Frederick is a young lieutenant with little prospects and was deemed by her friends and family as not worthy enough to marry Anne. Fast forward to 7 or so years later, and Anne's family is in dire circumstances. Her family has to move from their large country estate to Bath in an effort to retrench and avoid further debt. Frederick returns to England as a wealthy and highly eligible naval captain and his and Anne's paths meet again. Frederick is pursued by 2 of Anne's younger sisters-in-law while Anne is left to wonder what might have been. After a stressful visit to Lyme, Frederick and Anne's paths briefly separate. Anne moves to Bath where she is pursued by her cousin William Eliott and she crosses paths with Frederick again. Will love triumph the second time around?

Whether you agree or disagree with my assessment of the 1995 version starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds, I think you will find that Rupert Penry-Jones and Sally Hawkins are wonderful in their roles as Frederick Wentworth and Anne Eliott. Sally Hawkins - unknown to me until now - gives a soul-stirring and endearing performance as Jane Austen's long suffering heroine. Rupert Penry-Jones is aptly dashing and handsome, though perhaps a little bland, as Frederick (I'd take him over Ciaran Hinds any day). The supporting cast is solid - with a few exceptions - and the screenplay, up until the last 10 minutes, stays true to the tone and spirit of the book. The production values, costumes and locations are excellent. This scores points for actually filming in Bath and Lyme (actual locations from the book). Another high note is Martin Phipps (who also composed the amazing score of BBC's "North & South) who delivers yet another stirring score.

The reasons for the 4 stars are as follows (warning, spoilers!):
a) Casting - I absolutely detest Amanda Hale as Mary Musgrove. She is annoying and stands out in a bad way from the rest of the cast. Julia Davis is also off as Elizabeth Eliott and looks more like Anne's wicked stepmom than her older (by 2 years) sister. Elizabeth is supposed to be beautiful and elegant, and Julia Davis is nowhere near this. Surely there are more than enough talented British actresses who could have played these roles.
b) Changes - Some long-time fans will be a little irritated with the changes made to famous scenes from the book. This is where the 1995 version triumphs over this version. While the Amanda Root version remained faithful to the book, this version strayed in some of the vital scenes such as the dialogue between Captain Harville and Anne on woman's constancy; and the scene where Frederick writes a letter to Anne.
c) The last 10 minutes - where Anne runs around Bath like a headless turkey - almost completely ruined it for me. Whoever thought of sending a docile, elegant, poised, upper-class lady like Anne to run around town like a servant girl is beyond me. The adaptation would have been outstanding except for this miscalculation. I am not a purist, but there is just so much a long-time Jane Austen fan can take and this one crossed the line for me.

All in all, however, I give it 4 stars for Sally, Rupert, most of the supporting cast, Bath, the score and the first 80 minutes. It goes along swimmingly up until the climax, at which point I have to fast forward to skip the part I detest. A good and solid adaptation, but "Northanger Abbey" starring JJ Feild and Felicity Jones gets my vote as my favorite of the recent Jane Austen adaptations.

Ok, just to let you know, I'm just finishing a whole semester focusing on this book, so I feel like a bit of an authority! Anyway, the great thing about this movie, besides Wentworth being so smoking HOT (sorry Ciaran), is its appeal to Austen newbies: it simplifies and reorganizes the story so it makes sense in a screenplay. That said, if you're an Austen purist, this movie is going to kill you!

From the start, the details are rearranged, making me cringe at the lost subtleties from the novel. The very climax of the book, the all important conversation between Anne and Harville and Wentworth's subsequent letter, are broken into separate sections of the movie and completely out of order. Sure it works, but its not right! I felt I was denied one of the greatest scenes of the book! Ugh!

As for the actors, besides Wentworth being hot (I feel I must reiterate this) he wasn't necessarily better or worse than Ciaran, just a different take. Anne was mixed: one minute I hated her, the next I loved her. She also brought a new aspect to the character and I appreciated it. Everybody else, though, was insignificant. I really felt like the 95 version made even the small characters round and dynamic, and in this movie, if you weren't the hero or heroine you were blah. And whoa...way too much over-emoting.

And what was said before was true: the end stinks. Its like Run Lola Run all over Bath, and hey look, Mrs. Smith isn't crippled, so she can run alongside and explain all the junk about Mr. Elliott. Nice one guys. Yeah, so my last thought of the movie was that maybe I would at least get to see a satisfying kiss between Anne and Wentworth, and after the slow inching toward each other's face with Anne chomping (literally!) at the bit, it was finally there. So that was nice.

Ok, in summation, the 95 version is classic and timeless, but if you don't know the story beforehand you're going to get lost. This version is Persuasion for Dummies but it does have a few merits. Its worth watching, whatever your experience, but consider yourselves forewarned!

P.S. If you're hoping the new Mansfield Park is going to be better than the 99 version I think you will be disappointed. I could only stomach a few minutes before I HAD to turn it off. But then again, I kinda liked the 99 version, so who knows.

I'm sorry to say I found this version profoundly disappointing. "Persuasion" is my favorite Austen novel, and I sat down to watch it with high hopes. Fortunately we have the rich, subtle Amanda Root/Ciaran Hinds version the BBC made in 1995 to turn to. Not only is it more faithful to the novel, it is also a smoother story, less choppy and abrupt.

I had a number of objections, but my chief one was the alteration to the character of Anne Elliot. She is supposed to be a woman of quiet moral strength whose family dismisses her as a nonentity. She courageously makes the best of a life that has disappointed her ever since she was persuaded to give up marrying the man of her choice years earlier. This version portrayed her as a poor, pathetic, meek creature who hides away in a corner and weeps whenever anyone hurts her feelings. My secondary objection was the kissing and wild running around the street. No respectable woman of the period would EVER have behaved that way in public. Who decided to do this? It almost seemed to be the work of someone who thought Austen's restraint was too tame for 21st century tastes, but since it is bizarrely popular, let's re-write it with more modern behavior.

Presenting a simplified version of a novel widely regarded as a masterpiece of English literature is not a meritless idea: though we understand that especially the development of character may be diminished or compromised, it may be worth it to get the essentials across. To present a simplified version of a novel which is an out-of-order, jumbled, misshapen, meaningless shadow of the original is a disservice to all who watch it. It neither helps us understand the infrastructure of the original novel, nor is it a worthwhile piece of art in itself. This production represents a total failure of engagement; it's a piece of cotton candy. Watch the 1995 Amanda Root version, as close to perfection as a filmed version of an Austen novel has gotten so far.

(Will no one ever cast a version of "Persuasion" in which the heroine's sister Elizabeth really is beautiful?)

What a disappointment! I just watched this last night on PBS Masterpiece. I was so excited to kick off the four-month Jane Austen extravaganza, too. I'm not sure if the people who made this version are just totally off the mark and think they can improve Jane Austen by making all kinds of ridiculous changes, or if trying to cram the novel into 90 minutes was just overwhelming and they ended up with this horrible mess. I have read the novel several times, and this version just doesn't capture the tension, the wit and humor--anything. Nor is the character development at all detailed or believable. On a humorous note, some of the changes the movie made to the novel are so ridiculous that they're laugh-out-loud funny:
Anne running around Bath chasing after Captain Wentworth and then finally running straight into him, almost knocking him and her brother-in-law over;
Harriet Smith--the invalid friend--achieving a a sudden miraculous recovery allowing her to trot nimbly down the street with Anne so that she can tell her all about how evil Anne's cousin, Mr. Eliot is;
Captain Wentworth giving Anne her family's estate Kellynch as a wedding gift!
I give it two stars because it looks pretty. If you're a true Jane Austen fan, steer clear. It's funny that people try to change what is already perfect--it never works. Watch the 1995 version Persuasion or read the book. Persuasion (Penguin Classics)

I had read the book many years ago and when I heard that there was to be a new Jane Austen series, I re-read it and the others and Persuasion took a very definite first place.
As to this TV version, first time round I loved it and I have found, on repeat viewing only very recently, that it was even better than I remembered. I thoroughly enjoyed the settings, the music and particularly, the two lead performances which I think were thoroughly convincing. Of the supporting roles, I thought Anthony Head was magnificently arch and enjoyably shallow and horrible as Sir Walter, Sam Hazeldine bumbling, delightful and sweet (especially in his relations with Anne which are so kind and redolent, on his part, of what might have been) and I must be the only person who thought that Mary Musgrove was just exactly as she should have been! Peter White is a great favourite of mine so I loved his bluff yet gentle Admiral.
The pacing was odd, I admit, presumably because of the time constraints and like everyone else, I would have liked all of the letter-not just because the written version is so beautiful but because I thought Rupert Penry-Jones' voice-over was absolutely perfect. There's a little subtle break in his voice half way through that gets me every time. The scene in the shop was also wonderful-he, in particular, showed so much by doing so little. There was a real feeling of strong feelings ruthlessly repressed because he was so afraid of being hurt again.
I think Anne was beautifully played by Sally Hawkins and she looked just right. At the start she was obviously depressed but determined to live the best life she could. Then, at the end, she realised she had another chance to live the life she really wanted and gathered every ounce of strength of character she had to grab it with both hands. That was the symbolism of the running for me.
As to RPJ looking too young and unweathered for a sea captain, in reality, that's probably true but the whole point about Austen's description of him is that he had lost none of what she called his (this may be in the wrong order!) "open, glowing, manly" look in the eight years he and Anne had been apart. And even her vain, looks-obsessed father who castigated all sailors because they supposedly looked rough, had to admit eventually that Captain Wentworth was an exception. RPJ had that in spades, as well as the depth of feeling for a role where so much is under the surface. I thought he was wonderful in it and that he and Sally Hawkins created something touching to the contemporary mind, yet absolutely in keeping with the original, of a relationship that nearly didn't make it.
As to "the kiss", it wasn't the chocolate-box romanticism that many accuse modern visual producions of overlaying on Austen-it was hesitant, full of both fear and longing, human, messy and completely believable. The sunlit ending at Kellynch, I think, was symbolic of pent-up longing fulfilled in every way, which is really the point of the entire book, and I loved it.
I've even loved writing this about it!

I am a huge Jane Austen fan and I love all of her books. "Persuasion" is a subtle, gentle sort of love story that, when filmed, relies heavily on the actors to portray emotions that must be kept hidden or simmering -- not an easy feat for any actor! Unfortunately, the casting of the actors here is so far off it makes me wonder what the casting director was thinking.

To start, poor Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliot is a disaster. Yes, Anne is supposed to have grown plain at her advanced age of 27 (!) but not downright homely. Perhaps it is cruel to use the word "homely," but I can't think of any other way to describe Ms. Hawkins in this movie. She is not only homely but so overwhelmingly cowed I wanted to shake her! This is not Anne as Austen wrote the character. And Rupert Penry-Jones, while a good actor and a hottie to boot, was not a good choice for Captain Wentworth. He is far too "pretty," and not rough enough to convince us he won his fortune as a naval captain in the Napoleonic wars. The combination of the painfully unattractive Anne with the super-cute Frederick just does not work -- there is no chemistry between the actors, (oh dear God that awful kiss!) and not for one minute did I believe he was in love with her -- now or ever.

Other questionable casting choices include the way-too-old looking Julia Davis who played Elizabeth and the weirdly stooped, mugging actress who played Anne's other sister, Mary. Yikes!

Casting that worked well, however, was Anthony Head (Giles from "Buffy," believe it or not) as the snobbish Sir Walter, and the marvelous Tobias Menzies ("Brutus" from HBO's "Rome") as cousin William Elliot. Tobias Menzies and the lovely production quality of the film earn it two stars, but otherwise if you are a fan of "Persuasion," you must check out the version starring Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root. Truly outstanding acting and a DVD you will watch again and again -- well worth purchasing. As for the Hawkins-Jones version, watch it on Masterpiece Theatre or rent it, then compare it to the Hinds/Root version, and see what you think before you buy.

"Persuasion" is my favorite Jane Austen novel and I was excited to see a Masterpiece adaptation on PBS. Unfortunately, I found this version dull and dismal. I didn't feel that the film makers adaquately portrayed why these two characters were in love or why he would wait to be married all of these years. In the lovely 1995 version, you see the underlying humor, will, and strength of character in Anne. Frederick and Anne also have exchanges that reveal their passion for one another. While it also takes liberty with some of the original story - I've always wanted to see the drama with her widow friend included more - it is definitely more moving and better developed. I would recommend bypassing this Masterpiece version.

They did one thing I liked: Captain Benwick was well cast and the scenes between him and Anne really worked, though they would have worked better if they'd used Jane Austen's dialog.

If I could I'd give this zero stars because:

*Jane Austen's novels are more than romances -- this version tries to turn PERSUASION into a romance novel, pure and simple. It leaves out every nuance of character, every side plot (including the Crofts' marriage, which in the book and the 1995 film version contrasted so painfully with Anne's situation), and doesn't even hold together as a film in its own right!

*instead of the novel's dramatic conclusion (when Captain Wentworth is writing the letter while Anne is talking about women "loving longest" -- for some bizarre reason, this speech was edited and then moved to the middle of the film), this script writer has Anne running around Bath.....

*many, many scenes are cut, and replaced by Anne sighing, or crying, while sad music plays...the opening sequence didn't even really make sense.

*the casting (with the exception of Captain Benwick and maybe Anne herself) was off: Captain Wentworth would NOT look young and cute - with a practically unlined face - after all those years in the English navy; Mary was TOO pretty, Elizabeth not nearly pretty enough; the Harvilles, instead of being warm and welcoming were shown only when Captain Harville LECTURED Captain Wentworth (another scene invented by the truly terrible writer)

*all the comic scenes were cut (Mrs.Musgrove's "large fat sighings," for example), as was one of the MOST romantic ones: hen Anne is trying to take care of one nephew while another hangs round her neck -- remember how in the book Captain Wentworth simply walks up to her and firmly removes the child?

SURELY there are better writers out there! Why didn't they hire one?

Of the three new iTV films done as part of the Jane Austen Season this year, this one is my favorite (although it was really a toss-up with Northanger Abbey, this one wins for less content issues): iTV Britain adapted the following to 90 minute TV films this year: Persuasion, Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey, and this one I think is the best of the bunch. Although short, this film packs most of the best bits of Jane Austen's `Persuasion', into a 90 minute easy-to-watch (though hardly accurate) period piece, taking this film `to the masses' as intended.

Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliot and Rupert Penry-Jones as Captain Frederick Wentworth are well cast, doing their parts justice: the others are mostly well cast, with a few exceptions (personally I found Mary Musgrove hard to take, the Musgrove sisters a bit too silly and Elizabeth Elliot a bit too old), and although I like this new adaptation, I think it cannot compare to the 1995 version with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds, which was extremely well cast and was just so beautifully done. This new version is intended to bring Jane Austen to new audiences and I think it does so admirably. It is beautifully shot and nicely costumed, and there are some very sweet and emotional moments that portray the books good points nicely. I like the focus that this film has on the type of wife and characters IN a wife that Captain Wentworth is interested in, and how Anne is or isn't fitting into that idea at any given point.

Personally, one of my favorite things about this new `Persuasion' adaptation is the music (when it's there): the score that is part of this piece is very light, but mellow and haunting, sweet and melodious; I would love to purchase this music as a soundtrack CD, but haven't yet seen it available (nor I think, is it likely to be made so)...nonetheless, it is nicely done and worth paying attention to as you watch the film!

Content: there is not much objectionable with this film: there is mild innuendo, polite references to marriages and flirtations, but nothing much to give offense: all in all, a family-friendly film...

Yes, it's not entirely true to the book, yes, it's too short, yes, things have been changed, but the emotional swell created by the top-notch acting of Sally Hawkins, among others, as well as the build of the film and music, I think, pay off in the end: the end is short, too short for me, I will admit...the entire ending is summed into a quick few minutes in which everything is resolved that takes time to resolve in the book, but I still am happy to have this emotional and nicely-filmed version of Persuasion to add to the collection!