Persuasion (1995)

Gary and I kept looking at each other and exclaiming things along the lines of "what the HELL is happening??" The production (and, possibly, the source material) kept us in the dark for most of the story, only explaining the obscure actions of main characters in the last 10 minutes or so. This resulted in the aforementioned outbursts and honest questions like "Why is she such a pill around him?" and "Why did he just do that?"

I was almost annoyed to have to wind up kind of liking the story because I spent so much of my time confused. Sure, it all made sense after you know some backstory, but this isn't the Sixth Sense, people. If I want a twist that makes me go "Oh!" I don't generally look in the literary adaptations for it. And, to be fair, I didn't feel as though I was being jacked around in Sixth Sense like I did during this movie.

One other mark against it: the leading lady was dull as dishwater. The fact that her family treated her as though she was below them would've been reprehensible if it weren't for the fact that she seemed to behave as though she was there as a willing doormat.

C+