I have hesitated for a long time before watching this version. I couldn't choose between it and the one with Gwyneth Paltrow: both versions include actors I know and admire, both seemed to be adequately faithful to the book, etc. But the cover illustration of the edition of "Emma" I have shows a dark-haired girl, so I have always imagined Emma as a brunette - that's why I chose this version after all.
And I'm INCREDIBLY glad I did.
It is really very faithful to the book, and, what is more, it captures the book's spirit. We see quite a complicated drama, with confused human feelings and a very vague good guys-bad guys distinction, and yet everything is in the 19th century style, one can see no traces of modernization.
The main heroine is portrayed perfectly, with all the contradictions of her nature. Kate Beckinsale shows us a girl who is full of good will but can be quite arrogant, who is rather clever but too self-assured... And, furthermore, we see Beckinsale's Emma changing and maturing as the film goes on.
Mark Strong, too, gives a great performance as Emma's ever-faithful friend Mr. Knightley. He always conveys the emotions his character's supposed to feel - sometimes with only his facial expression, as Mr. Knightley is not a talkative person.
The other actors are wonderful as well, so I think the characters look and behave just as Jane Austen must have imagined. My favorite among the minor characters is Harriet Smith, a naive sweet-natured girl whom we can't help but pity as she struggles to sort out her feelings. She is so realistic in the movie! After watching it, I sometimes find myself in situations similar to Harriet's - even though I live two hundred years later!
And I'm INCREDIBLY glad I did.
It is really very faithful to the book, and, what is more, it captures the book's spirit. We see quite a complicated drama, with confused human feelings and a very vague good guys-bad guys distinction, and yet everything is in the 19th century style, one can see no traces of modernization.
The main heroine is portrayed perfectly, with all the contradictions of her nature. Kate Beckinsale shows us a girl who is full of good will but can be quite arrogant, who is rather clever but too self-assured... And, furthermore, we see Beckinsale's Emma changing and maturing as the film goes on.
Mark Strong, too, gives a great performance as Emma's ever-faithful friend Mr. Knightley. He always conveys the emotions his character's supposed to feel - sometimes with only his facial expression, as Mr. Knightley is not a talkative person.
The other actors are wonderful as well, so I think the characters look and behave just as Jane Austen must have imagined. My favorite among the minor characters is Harriet Smith, a naive sweet-natured girl whom we can't help but pity as she struggles to sort out her feelings. She is so realistic in the movie! After watching it, I sometimes find myself in situations similar to Harriet's - even though I live two hundred years later!