Azelle Bahadory

Honestly I’m kind of a film snob but this one was excellent. Unlike a lot of love stories, it didn’t sugar-coat the pain that some of us have to work through in order to learn how to love. True to life and absolutely underrated.

As a stuffy, pretentious literary elitist, I must say, this adaptation caught me by pleasant surprise. It doesn’t deserve the negative criticism it gets. The only explanation I can come up with for the disproportionately critical reaction is the casting choice of Dakota Johnson, who is automatically associated with the ever-atrocious Fifty Shades travesty - which is no fault of her own. She shines in her role as Anne, and I hope this production will bring her the recognition she deserves. The directing, cinematography, and screenplay adaptation were all delightful. The wonderful thing about Jane Austen’s works is that the themes are timeless and relatable no matter what. This modern-ish adaptation is proof.

A delightful spoof of the domestic psychological thriller genre. Kristen Bell did a fantastic job at playing the hot-mess archetype. The deliberate absurdity of each of the characters is artfully done, and the slow unfolding of the puzzle is subtle and satisfying. The subtle wit behind the writing is easily overlooked and underrated.