Netflix's Persuasion

I just finished watching Netflix's version of Persuasion based on Jane Austen's novel. While I will try not to spoil anything, if you don't know the plot of a book published in 1817, a quick Google search will remedy that.

Like many Jane Austen fans, I was thrilled to hear that Netflix would be doing their own version. I love the diverse cast. Much in the way that Shonda Rhimes did with Bridgerton, there are both modern elements and loosely historically accurate elements. I read that many critics did not like the anachronistic language in this adaptation. I understand why this would be annoying (?), frustrating (?), or just plain, not staying true to the original work. However, Jane Austen wrote for the normal person. She describes events and life occurences that are ordinary. Updating some of the language in the movie to make modern references makes the movie more understandable for those who are not already Jane Austen fans thereby making the dynamics between the characters, especially that within the Elliot family, more relatable and ordinary.

There are elements that Netflix has employed before: The breaking of the 4th wall to narrate what would normally be just silent micro-expressions and while that works for some, the average movie viewer, at this point, is used to something more. Enola Holmes used this breaking-of-the-4th wall narration to give background information from a limited 3rd person narrator. Montage at the beginning of the movie of scenes we haven't seen yet? Done.

To all the purists, the plot is still there. The major moments? Present. The angst? Not as much as say, the 2007 movie version. A bit more sass? Sure. If we were to modernize the movie a bit, one could say that Dakota Johnson as Anne has just enough of the sweetness and sass that comes from being a middle daughter. The vanity of Mr. Eliot was definitely highlighted which may have been overlooked a bit more in previous movie versions. The way that Anne describes Mary in this current incarnation while "diagnosing" the character with modern terms does help clarify the character's actions in a way that gives the viewer a better grasp on some sort of background knowledge to help understand the character both as comic-relief and a relatable situation with family members. Can we all agree that Mary Eliot gives off the same vibes as Mrs. Bennett? Her nerves!

Why do people love Jane Austen? Her stories are relevant and relateable. We all have family members who are over-the-top. We have family members who are a little too vain. Those whose fathers have too many daughters. Those whose marry people who are not the kindest of people. So, while I love the original language and depictions, I would also love to bring new fans into the fold. The only way that authors and stories remain endearing is to create new fans. Dakota Johnson makes a fine Anne in her quiet observations and sometimes overthinking narratives. I mean, how can you not move on from the love-of-your-life for eight years if not for the overthinking?

If you want a strict adaptation, this is not the Persuasion for you. If you want a delightful, slightly lighter version of the broody Jane Austen classic, this does the trick. Henry Golding as Mr. Eliot the younger? He is dashing, charming, and comes across as the possible rake that he might be. Yes, there is a lot of soft conclusions about Mr. Eliot. Maybe you like that sort of thing. Maybe you were as suspicious as Anne. Maybe you were off-put by his forwardness. To each their own. Enjoy it for what it is and possibly what it is not.