I read some reviews before watching this movie, so I was prepared. If you don't expect much, it can be quite entertaining while doing the dishes or the laundry.
Yes, it's not an authentic adaptation of the source material. The cast is diverse, the language fluctuates between period drama and modern rom-com, and feminist themes are directly addressed. Although I kind of enjoyed the modern tone this adaptation wants to implement, I feel like this movie doesn't really know where it belongs. It targets a wide audience, and to make sure, everybody understands the characters and the time and how difficult it was for women, it explains everything in an ungainly manner. Both dialogues as well as the way Anne directly addresses the audience don't leave any room for interpretation and subtlety, but in the latter lies Jane Austen's strength. So, you can shut your brain off while watching, you won't need it, and in doing so, you might even enjoy this lighthearted version of Persuasion.
Instead of implementing the melancholic atmosphere of the novel, this adaptation tries a more humorous approach. Sometimes it works, sometimes it results in cringiness that's hard to watch.
I enjoyed most of the cast, but there wasn't much chemistry between Anne Elliott and Wentworth, no matter how longingly he stared at her and how often she stated that she never stopped loving him. I mean, she was drunk half the time, so maybe she just imagined things.
Casting diverse actors for a period drama like this is a different discussion. This movie isn't based on an imaginary alternative history like Bridgerton, so ignoring slavery and social standards of that time doesn't seem to be a well thought-out approach, but it's not my place to judge that.
Overall, I think it's a nice watch if you don't expect too much, but it doesn't go deep. By this time tomorrow, I will have forgotten most of it.
Yes, it's not an authentic adaptation of the source material. The cast is diverse, the language fluctuates between period drama and modern rom-com, and feminist themes are directly addressed. Although I kind of enjoyed the modern tone this adaptation wants to implement, I feel like this movie doesn't really know where it belongs. It targets a wide audience, and to make sure, everybody understands the characters and the time and how difficult it was for women, it explains everything in an ungainly manner. Both dialogues as well as the way Anne directly addresses the audience don't leave any room for interpretation and subtlety, but in the latter lies Jane Austen's strength. So, you can shut your brain off while watching, you won't need it, and in doing so, you might even enjoy this lighthearted version of Persuasion.
Instead of implementing the melancholic atmosphere of the novel, this adaptation tries a more humorous approach. Sometimes it works, sometimes it results in cringiness that's hard to watch.
I enjoyed most of the cast, but there wasn't much chemistry between Anne Elliott and Wentworth, no matter how longingly he stared at her and how often she stated that she never stopped loving him. I mean, she was drunk half the time, so maybe she just imagined things.
Casting diverse actors for a period drama like this is a different discussion. This movie isn't based on an imaginary alternative history like Bridgerton, so ignoring slavery and social standards of that time doesn't seem to be a well thought-out approach, but it's not my place to judge that.
Overall, I think it's a nice watch if you don't expect too much, but it doesn't go deep. By this time tomorrow, I will have forgotten most of it.