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Rating:  - Love this film!
Another great adaptation of Jane Austen work; cast is excellent. I had been looking for this one for a while, too. :)
Rating: - Simply THE BEST Version of Jane Austen's PERSUASION
In my opinion, this film is the very best version of film adaptations of Jane Austen's PERSUASION. The casting seems perfect and the subtle physical transformation of Amanda Root (Anne Elliot) is incredible. Having recently seen the new PBS/Masterpiece Theater version (didn't like the casting on that one), I think that the only place that it excelled over this version was in making the relationship between Mrs. Clay and cousin Elliot clearer--that the cousin wanted not only to marry Anne so he could inherit the estate, but to also have Mrs. Clay as his mistress on the side to prevent her from marrying Sir Walter Elliot and possibly producing a male heir to beat him out of the property. That flaw was probably due to some footage ending up on the cutting room floor. Overall, however, this earlier version is vastly superior and may be my favorite adaptation of all the Austen novels to date.
Rating: - I am persuaded...
Let me state up front that I have never read Jane Austen's novels but I've watched almost every version of her novels put to film. I was confused in places when I watched for the first time this 1995 version of Persuasion with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root, but a second viewing clarified -- and I've watched and loved it many times since (however, I've mused that this version would have been even better had Andrew Davies written the screenplay). I love to watch the subtle play of emotions on the characters' faces, which reveal the thoughts and feelings people of that era would never utter aloud. I was so looking forward to watching Rupert Penry Jones' Captain Wentworth in the new rendition of Persuasion because I loved him in his small but memorable role in the excellent film, Charlotte Gray. But I was disappointed in the entire production, especially in the casting of plain Sally Hawkins. I would never for a moment believe that Penry Jones would be attracted to, never mind pine for, her. I was also disappointed in Penry Jones' rather wooden performance (though I think he had the deck stacked against him by the screenplay and the way that film was shot). I found the final scene of Hawkins running through the streets ridiculous and her way-too-long-lead-up-to-a-kiss with Wentworth contrived. What most disturbed me about the new film and the other new film versions of the Austen novels released this season (Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey, although I thought Northanger Abbey the best of the three; I haven't seen Sense and Sensibility or Emma yet) is that everything feels forced -- the action is too fast and "choppy." Sally Hawkins is plopped onto the back of the carriage like a sack of potatoes, versus the subtle caress of Ciaran Hinds' hands on Amanda Root's waist as he helps her into the carriage, followed by the embarrassed expression on her face as she looks back at him and as he turns away to hide the caring his action revealed. Time and time again in this 1995 version, you can see the subtle emotions on the characters' faces because the camera lingers appropriately. This is only one of countless moments of genuine feeling that is totally lacking in the new version. Is it that we're losing in our increasingly fast-paced results-oriented world -- reflected in many current films -- the ability to let life and feeling unfold according to its own natural rhythms? I was not persuaded that the characters in the new version were real at all. Thank goodness I have my wonderful 1995 version to watch again and again.
Rating: - Classic Austen - best adaptation
For my money, this is the most faithful adaptation of this Austen book. I find the script flows more smoothly than in the 2006 version. The sequence of events is such that the characters' motivations are better explained. The cast is fabulous and truly capture the spirit of the book. Root's portrayal of Anne is subtle and sensitive, perceptive and mature. We see her bloom on the screen. The special connection between Anne and Cap'n Wentworth is palpable. I love that Wentworth is always in uniform and the scene in Lyme, strolling on the jetty is one of the most memorable in the movie. I just wish they had cleaned up the dvd transfer so the coloring on the dvd wasn't so dim. The production values could be better.
Rating: - Another winner!
My husband and I are VERY selective about the movies we purchase. Some so often disappoint with crude language, violence, and/or nudity. This one delighted us with superb acting and casting. The only critical remark would be that we had to put the volume so loud to hear the whispers that were pertinent to the story.
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