★ 9 / 10
You may well ask, why should you watch
Peter McGinn
You may well ask, why should you watch this particular version of Jane Austen's Persuasion? well, settle in and let me tell you. I think I own almost every…
You may well ask, why should you watch this particular version of Jane Austen's Persuasion? well, settle in and let me tell you.
I think I own almost every filmed version of every Austen novel. I find different strengths and weaknesses in all of them, but I would not trash any of them the way people do some versions because they don't stay true enough to the books. I write novels myself in my spare time and - were I lucky enough (or good enough) to have any made into a film - I would not be offended if they were changed. Books and movies have different needs and ways of telling a story. That said, I really love this interpretation of Persuasion.
I greatly appreciate how British productions often don't automatically lunge for the most beautiful or most handsome actors and actresses for their lead roles, as American productions are apt to do. Sally Hawkins is by no means ugly, but she is almost homely in some of her scenes, such as when she is weeping. I read a criticism in a review of how the actors stare into the camera, but I think Sally is at her most masterful doing just that, looking right at us, such as in the very first scene, or the weeping scene I just mentioned. Her facial expression changes are sometimes dramatic and other times subtle but still very effective. I think all of the acting is wonderful here, from the effete snob father right down through to the many minor characters.
I do admit I was a bit mystified by one aspect of the ending. I will try not to give it away to those who may actually be deciding whether to watch it, but the book's ending is changed for the film, which as I said above, isn't a problem for me in itself. There are enough versions of Austen movies or mini-series out there that I am fine with each doing some interpreting. And in this version, they want to make the final scene more dramatic. That is fine. But what struck me as weird was that Anne follows a character out the front door just seconds behind him, but that person is nowhere to be seen on the street, and she goes off in pursuit. It wouldn't have taken much to have Anne be delayed leaving just long enough to make it realistic that there would be no sign of him when she steps outside. But I forgive them that oddity. Perhaps it was the result of an editing room dilemma. Also in that scene they show her walking from above, which makes for a strange angle. Since then I have seen that technique used more, so perhaps it is a new thing.
The music by Martin Phipps is also wonderful, moody and rich. I am surprised that the soundtrack was not made available (the last time I checked). The closest I have come to finding it was, oddly enough, a CD called H2O by the Canadian nature CD producer Dan Gibson. It is similar to the main theme music of the movie, though obviously not the same thing.
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★ 8 / 10
a lively adaptation
broadneck
I watched the 1995 version of BBC's Persuasion and I liked it a lot. However, I decided that Persuasion was my least favorite of Jane Austen's six novels. This…
I watched the 1995 version of BBC's Persuasion and I liked it a lot. However, I decided that Persuasion was my least favorite of Jane Austen's six novels. This was not because the movie wasn't well done, but if we're talking about a romance that lasts almost a decade, I would like my hero and heroine to truly connect in terms of their looks and intelligence. A romance should possess some youthful quality despite of the age. It doesn't matter how old people are, it's really about the girl wants the boy and the boy gets the girl. I think the 1995 version's romance between Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliot was more cautious.
I saw the 2007 version and watched it over and over again. I love it! The more I see it, the more I see things in the movie that I missed the first time I watched it. I think it's witty and humorous. I'm a Jane Austen addict and I'm happy that there are versions out there to explore other possibilities. No movies can ever do a book justice or be exactly like the book. Something in a book would always be trimmed and adapted for a movie. Most people read Austen's novels and interpret the characters differently. I think this is why she was such a genius at creating her characters. They are multi-dimensional and no one is all good or all bad, and they're really human. If the movie makers are really true to the book in telling the story, then the movie is in danger of being stale and boring. We would not have the descriptive passages from the books and we would end up with just dialogs.
Of course in Jane Austen's time, it was improper for a girl to run around chasing after a man or even kissing him in public. I laughed when Sally Hawkins (Anne Elliot) fell and when she was running around Bath looking for Rupert Penry-Jones (Captain Wentworth). The entertainment value is there. Rupert Penry-Jones' Captain Wentworth is aloof and being a naval captain, he doesn't display his emotions easily. You'll need to look at his eyes to see that he's jealous or to see his joy of seeing Anne and trying to conceal it. He is cold because deep down he is resentful of being turned down by Anne. He didn't have the reassurance that she would ever accept him. When he asked to call on her at precisely at 11:00 a.m., he was really angry with her possibly being engaged to Mr. Elliot. It was a pretense to ask about her relationship and not about the duty to deliver a message. There was a lot of underlying tension.
Then, the scene went into everyone all of a sudden showing up not understanding Anne was desperately trying to talk to Wentworth in private. They became emotional and physical obstacles to Anne reaching out to her man. I think the scene was well done and her frustration was communicated to the audience. The tempo was superb. At last, she caught up with the captain but then her brother-in-law was talking too much and one would wish he would get the message and leave them be. Finally, when Rupert Penry-Jones took off his hat, he almost took my breath away. I can understand now why Anne would wish to sail away with this man and why she spent over 8 years pining for him. So, maybe there is some merit to the captain being youthful. The book does describe him as being handsome and it is a major point of why Sir Walter began to accept him. And really, I don't see why Penry-Jones' performance was necessarily colder than the others. I thought they all are and this was how Jane Austen usually described her heroes. They tend to be men of a few words. I wouldn't like it if the heroes are giddy and over acting. I think both Sally Hawkins and Amanda Root portrayed Anne well. They're different but both gave a good performance.
My only complaint on the movie is that it is too short and everything seems to move too fast. 2 hours would have been better as to give the audience more time to connect with the characters. Still, the 2007 version has a lively tone, and it's not like Dickens' novels that deal with murder, kidnapping or other horrible things that happen to people. We couldn't make fun of them, but Jane Austen's love stories are full of characters that have plenty of room for irony or humor.
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7.4/10
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