OnScreen Review: "Emma"
Ken Jones, Chief Film Critic
As a red-blooded, American male who grew up on sports, Star Wars, and action movies, I resisted Jane Austen for a long time. Two things helped me get past that. First, was the 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice with Keira Knightley, one of my bigger celebrity crushes at the time. Second, I decided to read Pride & Prejudice alongside Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and thoroughly enjoyed both. While I have not read more of her works, I have seen and enjoyed more of the movie adaptations, and I was pleasantly surprised to see an adaptation pop up this year in the form of Emma and starring promising young actress Anya Taylor-Joy.
I had not seen the 1996 version of Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow, so my only exposure to the tale was the loose adaptation of Clueless from 1995 starring Alicia Silverstone, an iconic 90s movie. As much of a 90s staple as Clueless is, Emma is a much more engaging overall story that features timeless comedy, wit, and romance. Having since seen the 1996 version, but sadly not having read the book, my context is still a bit limited, but this version of Emma is indeed my favorite.
Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma is rich and spoiled but is also compassionate. She entertains herself by playing the role of local matchmaker. Her matchmaking skills are tested, and her confidence shaken, when the intentions and romantic interests of several acquaintances are misinterpreted by her and one another.
There is a great wit and humor in Jane Austen’s writing that has withstood the test of time. And Emma is genuinely funny. There is clever banter between Emma and Mr. Knightley (Johnny Flynn) throughout the film. Knightley is an exceptional judge of people and while he and Emma frequently clash over her meddling in the affairs of the hearts of others, they are nevertheless close friends. Emma influences through subtle suggestion and innuendo. She is manipulative, but rarely malicious. Mr. Knightley is one of the few people who is keenly aware of Emma’s manipulations and frequently calls her out on them.
Director Autumn de Wilde also infuses the film with some great visual comedy too; from the extravagantly outrageous robes worn by local vicar Mr. Elton (Josh O’Connor) or the ever-increasing-in-scale-and-number dividers that Emma’s father Mr. Woodhouse (Bill Nighy) produces by the fireplace to keep himself warm for fear of a draft. There is also a great sight gag at the climax of the film, where Emma’s body seemingly betrays her in the moment and undercuts the scene and turns it on its ear.
As timeless as the satirical humor and witty banter are in Emma, the same must be said for the romance of the story. I find there to be an incredible lack of quality in the rom-com wing, and an incredibly low bar for tolerating mediocre love stories. I actually see a lot of similarities between horror and rom-coms in this way, in that it seemingly takes so little to please the fans of these genres and there is so much trash thrown out to them that they just accept. Personally, I love a good rom-com and love story in general but am generally turned off by so much that I see in the genre. It is a high bar, but for a reason.
Emma, other Jane Austen works, and other stories from the same time period have more romance in their pinky finger than most movies set in more modern times do. The best example of this is the ball scene where Emma and Mr. Knightley dance. It begins unassuming enough, but an awakening of romantic feelings for one another happens through the course of the dance that catches both off guard. The camera work and editing of this scene is excellent and perfectly nails the importance of what is happening in the moment.
The casting of this film is finely done as well. Taylor-Joy is incredible as Emma. Bill Nighy is delightful and quirky, obsessed with his health and panicked by a draft of air or a report of snow. Callum Turner plays Frank Churchill as exactly the kind of person who has a good reputation but is immature and lacking in substance. Miranda Hart, who impressed in Spy, again impresses as Miss Bates, particularly in the scene where Emma shows bad form at the picnic, a heart-wrenching scene all around. One of the best casting choices, though, is Mia Goth as Harriet, the young and unsophisticated woman from the nearby school whom Emma takes an interest in and befriends. Goth plays her with just the right amount of naivete and desire for approval and acceptance from Emma, while slowly growing a mind of her own over the course of the film.
No review of this film would be complete without mentioning the costumes, which are Oscar-worthy in their design and presentation. Emma is always exquisitely adorned and the colors she is clothed in often make her pop off the screen. The film is full of vibrant pastel colors and other rich tones, not just in the clothes but also in the desserts that surround the characters. The score is also an important piece of this film, it is sparsely used, but light and moody, sometimes taking drastic turns, like when Miss Bates appears in the haberdashery.
Whit Stillman’s Love & Friendship from 2016 (an adaptation of Lady Susan) was a riotously funny farce and was firmly at the top of my list for Austen adaptations. Director Autumn de Wilde’s Emma, however, gives it a run for its money. It is an Emma that is accessible for 21st century audiences. Given the unique circumstances surrounding its release being scuttled and upended by the coronavirus, I hope this fine film finds a home audience because it is delightful.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(Emma is currently available for “early access” VOD streaming on several major platforms)