This image released by Netflix shows, from left, Lydia Rose...

This image released by Netflix shows, from left, Lydia Rose Bewley, Richard E. Grant, Dakota Johnson and Yolanda Kettle in a scene from "Persuasion." Credit: AP/Nick Wall

MOVIE "Persuasion"

WHERE Streaming on Netflix

WHAT IT'S ABOUT Netflix gets into the business of Jane Austen adaptations with "Persuasion." Dakota Johnson takes on the role of Anne Elliot in this adaptation of Austen's final completed novel. It's the filmmaking debut of Carrie Cracknell, a veteran British theater director.

The story, as anyone with even a passing familiarity with Austen's work already knows, concerns matters of the heart during the Georgian Era in early 19th century England. 

It specifically focuses on Anne, the middle daughter of aristocrat Sir Walter Elliot (Richard E. Grant), as she is reunited years later with her onetime love Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis). The "will-they-or-won't-they" narrative unfolds against a backdrop of seaside walks, painfully stiff dinner parties and plenty of asides to the camera by the star.

Co-stars also include the consistently excellent Henry Golding as William Elliot, a rival for Anne's affections.

MY SAY Another recent Austen adaptation, Autumn de Wilde's 2020 version of "Emma" starring Anya Taylor-Joy, unlocked a secret to making these efforts work that eludes this "Persuasion."

There has to be something more than just a basic, point-and-shoot rendering of the same old story about the same old familiar topic.

It's a truth that applies to virtually any big-screen version of a centuries-old classic novel as well, and even to Shakespeare himself: The audience must be given a compelling reason to be invested in this particular version of this particular story, or else there are countless other options.

De Wilde's "Emma" got this and infused its telling with visual flair and a heightened comedic sensibility. 

That's not to suggest the same approach would fit "Persuasion," with its story of a woman pushing 30 years old and facing a series of difficult internal questions because of social and familial pressures.

But this movie cannot locate its own solution and instead too often goes through the motions of an Austen adaptation without any sort of life behind it.

There's nothing egregiously offensive in how it tells the story; it doesn't step wrong in a fashion that sets off significant alarms, except for in moments where it veers a little too heavily into 19th century sitcom territory.

The resplendent scenery bursts forth, even on a smaller screen, and Austen fanatics will surely find themselves pleased as the movie hits the predictable marks.

It's just that this movie offers preciously little for viewers outside of that particular niche. There's nothing in the way of formal reinventions or boundary pushing. There's not a modern edge here, in terms of the craft at hand, or a present-day perspective apparent in what largely amounts to a faithful adaptation.

It does have plenty of period picture cliches, from the plucking strings that comprise the score, to the suggestive eye contact and severe restraint that define most of the performances.

Johnson is a fine actor who does what she can, but the saddest truth about this adaptation of all is that her Anne is largely defined by her feelings for Wentworth, when what she should be before anything else is her own person.

BOTTOM LINE If you're a Jane Austen completist, don't miss "Persuasion." Otherwise, there are many better options out there.

Top Stories

Newsday LogoSUBSCRIBEUnlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 5 months
ACT NOWSALE ENDS SOON | CANCEL ANYTIME