Persuasion is an absolute rip off of Fleabag!

[BiscuitLover3678]

I was genuinely shocked. The side glances, her tone of voice, how she talks, the characters. Even the way she holds the bunny (guinea-pig) felt like she was trying to copy all of it but in the ‘olden times’. And it would switch between old language and appropriate clothing and culture of the time to her wearing completely inaccurate outfits, using phrases like “I’m an empath” and “you’re a 10”. The wine drinking from the bottle. The contradiction felt so sloppy. At least go with it either way!

And because of the sarcastic style of writing the fact she is lovesick sounds off (but also like she’s trying to be Fleabag and Hot Priest!) Even her little box or keepsakes including the item from church. It’s actually made it feel totally unoriginal!

I cant finish it and I’m waiting for her to say “I love you” and for him to say “it’ll pass”

AIBU?

It is awful. Really awful. Quite fascinating in its awfulness. It completely changed Anne's character.

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Yes totally

It does sound like that. Just awful!

It doesn't even cut the mustard as an 'interesting' adaptation.

Which is a shame as Persuasion is my absolute favourite Jane Austen novel. None of the passion and yearning of the Sally Hawkins / Rupert Penry Jones version.

I did like her hair though...

Well Fleabag did say that hair was very important

The Fleabag funeral episode and the randomly perfect hair! That was funny.

Jane Austen should be ashamed of herself

Give me Amanda and Ciaran any day.

What’s poor Jane done wrong??

It was awful. I don't know why they chose Dakota. She's a very weak and bland actress.

Its a new style of cinematography that will be in vogue for a while.

I couldn't get interested in Fleabag. I profoundly didn't care about the characters.
I enjoyed Persuasion on Netflix.
Dunno the novel at all, it was all new story to me.

Same style but different story & characters, maybe?

This is how I felt about Fleabag, which I had loved, after I watched Miranda and discovered Fleabag was just a total rip off of Miranda.

I thought Dakota was completely miscast. The whole thing was a bit of slapstick / a piss-take really, which I thought was the whole point of it and it’s not meant to be a serious adaptation. Still rubbish though.

It also reminded me a bit of the film Enola Holmes where she talks to the camera.

I’ve just seen it and enjoyed it and Dakota was a lovely watch, unlike the Captain. Now HE was miscast. I thought he was supposed to be handsome? He was so wet. Eliot was lovely and fun

Gentleman Jack spoke to the camera....It’s almost routine in films, isn’t it? I thought it worked.

Couldn’t stand it, I don’t like Dakota Johnson as an actress, but as I’m a Jane Austen fan, good or poor I’ll watch every adaptation.

It was a terrible adaption, just pastiche of current references like Fleabag and Bridgeton trying to appeal to Gen Z. But they aren’t idiots and like good quality content like the rest of us. This wasn’t it.

I think it helps that I haven’t read the book, or Fleabag....😁

It definitely must help if you've never read the book 😅

Gentleman Jack was excellent. This offering of Persuasion not so much.

Gentleman Jack was excellent. This offering of Persuasion not so much.

Absolutely. Gentleman Jack, although based on a real person and some source material, is an original script. So it can be it’s own thing and do what it wants.
Persuasion is based on a well known novel, and although of course liberties can and should be taken when adapting a novel for the screen, the heart of the text and it’s essence should still be there. Here they’ve just pissed all over it. The writers could have written their own regency Rom Com with an original story and new characters if they wanted it to be so different - original, like Gentleman Jack - but doing a half arsed Austen knock off takes less effort and garners more attention I guess.

I didnt recognise the story at all, if I hadn't seen the title, I wouldn't have made the connection.