You might be wondering what makes this particular adaptation of Jane Austen's *Persuasion* worth your time, so let me explain. I believe I have nearly every film version of each of Austen’s novels. Each one has its own good and bad points, but I wouldn’t dismiss any of them just because they don’t stick precisely to the source material. As someone who writes novels in my free time, if I were fortunate (or skilled) enough to have one turned into a movie, I wouldn't be upset if it was altered. Books and films are different mediums with distinct ways of telling a story. That being said, I really like this take on *Persuasion*. I appreciate how British productions often don’t automatically cast the most conventionally attractive actors for lead roles, which is something American productions tend to do. Sally Hawkins isn't unattractive, but she can appear quite plain in certain scenes, such as when she’s crying. I read a criticism somewhere about the actors looking into the camera, but I think Sally is at her best doing exactly that – making direct eye contact with the audience, like in the very first scene or the weeping scene I mentioned earlier. Her facial expressions can be quite striking and other times subtle yet still very effective. I thought all of the acting was excellent, from the affected father to even the smallest roles. I will admit I was a little confused by one element of the ending. I’ll try not to spoil it for anyone considering watching this version, but the book's conclusion is changed in the film, which, as I mentioned before, isn’t something that bothers me. There are so many versions of Austen movies or mini-series out there that I am okay with each putting their own spin on things. And here, they seem to want to heighten the drama of the final scene. That's perfectly acceptable. What struck me as odd was that Anne follows a character out the front door just moments after he leaves, but that person is nowhere to be seen when she steps outside and goes off in pursuit. It wouldn’t have required much effort to delay Anne leaving long enough so that there would be no sign of him when she went out. But I'm willing to overlook that oddity. Maybe it was a problem they encountered while editing. Also, in that scene they show her walking from above, which creates an unusual perspective. I’ve noticed that technique being used more since then, so perhaps it’s become commonplace. The music by Martin Phipps is also wonderful – moody and rich. I'm surprised the soundtrack hasn't been released (the last time I checked). The closest I’ve found to it was a CD called *H2O* by Canadian nature producer Dan Gibson. It has similarities to the movie’s main theme, although of course it isn’t quite the same.

Source on TMDB