Persuasion

A TV Jane Austen which enjoyed considerable theatrical success in the US. Anne Elliot (Root, working wonders with an array of awkward, furtive glances) is the one sensible, unselfish member of the family of a foolish baronet, forced by debt to abandon their mansion for Bath. A decade earlier, she suffered an enduring 'disappointment': she reluctantly gave up her intended, deemed by her family and friends to have few prospects or connections. Now, however, Capt Wentworth (Hinds) is back in England, having made his fortune on the high seas; society being what it is, their paths soon cross. But will he succumb to the young Musgrove girl who's set her cap at him? And what of Anne's hitherto estranged cousin (West), whose charm, money and affections would seem to make him a perfect catch? Overall, the film, adapted by Nick Dear, is strong on psychological insights, feminist asides and the social relevance of place; if the dominant look remains televisual, John Daly's fluid camera (particularly mobile in the whirl of Bath), and some careful colour coding lend a level of invention seldom seen in TV costumers.