Jane Austen’s Persuasion (BBC)/Mansfield Park (WGBH)/Northanger Abbey (WGBH)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: D     Telefilms: C

 

 

Now that her books have run out of steam at the box office, Jane Austen is experiencing a cycle of British telefilms that are even triter than the previous efforts.  All made in HD and no match for what would have looked better in more colorful PAL analog British productions, the three go on and on to the point of no return and I was surprised how flat they all turned out.

 

Persuasion is directly from the BBC, has annoying shaky camerawork and never ceases to wear thin despite running only 98 minutes.  Sally Hawkins and Rupert Penry-Jones are not badly cast, but it is like watching them walk through a rainstorm of boredom.  ITV/Granada made the other two TV movies and WGBH Boston Video have issued Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey separately.  Despite a better approach to production, including a better pace and shorter running times (86 minutes each,) I was still bored, but not as insulted as I was with the first mess.

 

Unfortunately, all seem too interchangeable and even Austen’s books could not have been this cookie-cuter, plus the argument that you should have to read the books (as usual) before you see the telefilms is ridiculous.  These are for diehard Austen fans only.

 

All are anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1, softer than they should be, color challenged, detail poor and seem cheap on some level despite some money in the costumes and production design.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is also nothing special, has no surrounds and are good recordings at best.  There are no extras and geez, enough is enough.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo