West End director Carrie Cracknell makes her feature debut with the latest adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel, which, despite decent intentions, never really gets off the ground. Dakota Johnson stars as Anne Elliot and manages to mostly pull off a British accent and also showcase some decent comic timing, but it all gets lost on an anachronistic script that includes bizarre modern quips and far too much fourth-wall breaking. If you’re looking for a great, witty, female-driven period piece adapted from Jane Austen, try ‘Emma’ or ‘Love & Friendship’ instead.
2/5 stars