The movie doesn’t have much narrative momentum - what’s pushing us forward in the story? Anne flits about through various locations, but we spend so much of the movie away from Wentworth that it feels weird to root for a reunion. There is one sliver of a moment where it comes close to crackling with some sort of fire, however, it’s so brief that you might think you imagined it. They stare at each other, but it feels empty and hollow. There’s very little of that in Cracknell’s Persuasion. In the novel, Wentworth exudes anger when he becomes acquainted with Anne again, but that too comes from a place of ardent desire. It should feel unbearable, for both Anne and us viewers. Imagine seeing someone you love and was forced to let go after 7 years – that passion and longing should come to the forefront. Johnson’s an enchanting actress, and the movie does give her some space to be melancholic, but there’s no yearning. In the novel, Anne is described to have suffered “an early loss of bloom and spirits” because of her decision, so Johnson’s casting is a puzzling choice, especially since she looks a bit too lively and not nearly as downcast. It feels so disconcerting to see Johnson’s Anne be so cheery about it, with the film drawing our focus to her father’s obsession with the bed linens instead. Her father and sister’s lavish lifestyle has brought about some financial troubles, and they are forced to rent out their home and relocate. When we first meet Anne in the novel, things aren’t great. However, it doesn’t work because this is an adaptation of Persuasion, and the source material doesn’t allow for this sort of cheeky interpretation. I can see (albeit unwillingly) how it might apply to Anne, who has withdrawn herself from the world after she was persuaded to turn down the proposal of Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis), a decision she has regretted for 7 years. We’ve seen it in shows like Fleabag, where the character’s constant communication with the audience is a crutch, thus allowing her to remain distant from others. Having watched the movie, I kind of understand the intention behind it. In the brief glimpse we got, the tone of the movie seemed more campy than bittersweet, and most were perplexed at the choice of having Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson) break the fourth wall. The moment the trailer for Persuasion was released, there was a flurry of shock and disappointment online.
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