Persuasion (2022, PG)

This is a film that excited me when I first heard about it—“Dude, Henry Golding’s in a Jane Austen movie!!”—and filled me with apprehension when I saw the trailer—“Wait, what are they doing to Persuasion???” When it came out, I put off seeing it for a while because, honestly, I was a little scared to watch it. Having now bit the bullet, I can say that it’s not the abomination that I feared, but it’s definitely an adaptation with a lot of “huh?”

Years ago, a family friend talked Anne Elliot out of an engagement to Frederick Wentworth, a man of small means but great love and great ambitions, and she’s regretted it ever since.  Wentworth is now a captain in the navy, and he comes back into Anne’s life just as her aristocratic family is entering reduced circumstances thanks to her father’s lavish spending.  As Anne feels grieved by Wentworth’s presence and he seems wholly unmoved, she wonders if love, once thrown away, can ever be regained.

I have a lot of questions about this movie, the main one being, “Have they met Anne Elliot?” In this version, she’s equal parts spitfire, sad/whacky drunk, and an outspoken woman who says awkward things in social situations. Dakota Johnson admittedly plays this character well, but the character isn’t Anne Elliot, a beaten-down woman who’s lost her luster after she realized she let herself be talked out of her best happiness. Anne is quiet and helpful, often fading into the background as she gently deals with everyone’s problems and silently dies inside. This woman is someone else.

So right from the start, we’re not really dealing with Persuasion, which is an issue. If I divorce myself from the source material, there’s some enjoyment to be had. I’m entertained by Anne’s reactions to Mary’s self-centeredness, Louisa Musgrove has a fun characterization, and I like that William Elliot is an apologetic cad and Anne kind of vibes with that. Because of this, though, the most iconic Persuasion scenes are the ones that take me out the most—they just remind me that this cast could’ve done a lot better in a truer adaptation.

And honestly, either a straight adaptation or a modernization could’ve worked well here. As it is, the film goes for a Hamilton/Dickinson-esque blend of period trappings with modern flourishes, but it doesn’t commit enough to make it feel worthwhile. Moments like when Anne shares the “playlist” (a.k.a. collection of sheet music) Wentworth made for her are cute, but they’re so infrequent that, whenever they come up, they feel forced rather than organic.

Again, Dakota Johnson does well as the flawed but kind of endearing protagonist who is not Anne Elliot, and Cosmo Jarvis is fine but unmemorable as Wentworth. As William Elliot, Henry Golding makes for a delightfully charming cad and he’s clearly having fun in the role, which makes me have fun watching him. (Note: Golding isn’t the only BIPOC cast member, and this film is another entry in the list of “movies where the racebent casting is in no way to blame for its mediocrity,” a la Michael B. Jordon in the unfortunate Fantastic Four reboot.) Richard E. Grant is flawless as Sir Walter Elliot—absolutely no notes, quite possibly my favorite performance of the character, and I only wish he was in a better movie.

There were two major Austen adaptations that came out on streaming services over the summer. For me, Fire Island is unquestionably the better film. After Persuasion came out and, as I said, I was apprehensive about watching it, I turned to Fire Island first—this was the decidedly right choice. Persuasion isn’t awful, but it could’ve been so much more.

Warnings

Sensuality, drinking, and thematic elements.