Persuasion

*- I don't think I've ever opened a book in my life, which did not have something to say on women's fickleness. *- But they were all written by men. Two weirdos love being stronger than their own stubbornness; managing to be together only by facing the impossible task of breaking through their own silence. Through 8 AND A HALF years of not saying what mattered most. The glances they exchange speak as loudly as any words, yet leave a quiet space of misunderstanding between them (to us watching, aware of the feelings they hold so deeply, every one of these fleeting moments becomes a treasure); every frame is thick with emotion; the use of candlelight perfectly captures the book’s quiet, aching aura. The camera movement follows their turbulent relationship throughout the course of the movie, and the perfect example comes just before the concert: there's a zoom into their faces, it's subtle, but emotionally resonant. Through that quiet but also sudden motion, we feel everything they're feeling. Their eyes suddenly bigger than ever, their breath caught in their mouths, and in that moment, it's like we're holding it with them. Anne is perfect and I’ve got not much else to say (she’s perfect, get it?). Wentworth is the embodiment of a man who’s both deeply virile and disarmingly tender. Fuck off to all other Austen adaptations. This is sublime. Knowing and loving the book, this film genuinely feels like it was crafted by her hand.