Persuasion (1995)

In this adaptation of Persuasion you get the book almost entirely verbatim. The scenery is lush and alive but at the same time dull. It represents wonderfully how our heroine Anne sees life both before and after her Captain has come home, and both before and after he wins her heart a second time.You really see how embarrassed she is upon his return, you see how much she still loves him but how she will not be the one to stand in his way of true happiness. The characters all come to life and the actors bring their own take on all of them. Any lover of Jane Austen will appreciate how well this movie was made. This is one of the best book to movie translations ever seen on screen. 9/10

It is hard to name another film in which every single actor is cast so well and performs so well. Even the "smallest" roles are a treat. A miracle. And watching Amanda Root reminds me of that wonderful assertion by Judi Dench: "Acting isn't what you say; it's what you don't say," --- and Amanada Root can speak volumes without a word. The Musgrove family, and their home, constitute everyone's favourite dream of English rural paradise; and at every viewing I am riveted by that fabulous carpet. Charles Musgrove is so beautifully acted --- yes, you know he is a bit of a fool and insensitive, but you love him for his heartfelt honesty and generosity. Likewise, Admiral and Mrs Croft --- the married couple everyone wishes to be. When Mrs Croft (Fiona Shaw, a genius)is regaling the dinner party with her memories of home and sea, John Woodvine, as the admiral, is visible in the background, listening quietly, not looking at her, but permitting himself an exquisite, reticent, almost humble smile of contented happiness. There is not a single weakness in this wonderful PERSUASION.

i really liked this movie and thought that i might not at first. the story was very well done by the actors, Amanda root was an excellent choice for Anne Elliot as was ciaran hinds for captain Frederick Wentworth. i loved watching how Frederick tried not to show his feelings for Anne and how Anne tried valiantly not to show how he hurt her. so real life . i was a little disconcerted by the display of emotion at the end as i thought that would not have actually happened in Jane Austin day but was delighted on a personal level. i loved the costumes and the scenery of this movie, it was well directed, and the sub plots were just strong enough and did not interfere with the main story line. that is an important thing for me. i felt i would have liked this movie as i have seen ciaran hinds in Jane Eyre and he had done an excellent job in portraying Mr. Rochester.

Ann (Amanda Root) is the daughter of a spendthrift aristocrat (Corin Redgrave). When funds run low, the family is forced to vacate their stately mansion, rent the house to a retired Navy admiral, and move to smaller quarters in Bath. Ann's sister and father run off blithely, leaving Ann to tie up the loose ends of the arrangement. A kind and wealthy neighbor lady offers help but Ann, who once followed the lady's advice in rejecting a worthy man's proposal, confides to the neighbor that she should have accepted the offer. Nevertheless, Ann is impressed by the new tenants of their house and is startled to learn that the admiral's wife is the sister of the man Ann rejected long ago. As Ann trots off to visit another sister (Sophie Thompson) and her two young boys, she runs into her former admirer, Captain Wentworth. Only now, their situations are reversed, for the Captain has gained wealth and reputation while Ann's monetary funding is in decline. And, he ignores Ann for the most part and concentrates his attentions on the pretty younger sisters of Ann's brother in law. Ann, however, soon realizes she still loves him. What's a poor girl to do? This is a very fine movie, lovely to look at and featuring great performances, too. Thompson is an absolute stitch while the the other cast members, including Redgrave and Fiona Shaw, are first rate. Root is a conundrum, giving a very nice, quietly thoughtful performance but she does not have the dazzling appearance of most leading ladies. Perhaps, that is what Austen would have wanted. Costumes and scenery are of the put-your-eye-out variety. The main problem of the film is that it assumes too much, that the viewer is familiar with the book. Instead, the movie watcher is thrown into the Georgian world, without sufficient explanations of what is occurring or why. Most other adaptations of a well-loved book will, subtly, inform the viewer of the reasons behind the action, but not this one. Therefore, one may have to view the film a second time or sit down and read the wonderful book to feel the full impact of the movie's story. But, then again, nevermind. This is a lovely, classy film with an amazing set of characters and situations. Do not let anyone, even this reviewer, persuade you from getting this film tonight. It is totally worthy of much praise.