My Review- Emma
My Rating 6.9
Before she began the novel,Jane Austen wrote, "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like." Emma is spoiled, headstrong, and self-satisfied; she greatly overestimates her own matchmaking abilities; she is blind to the dangers of meddling in other people's lives; and her imagination and perceptions often lead her astray plus she is an awful snob. This was the last of Jane Austen's novels to be published and completed in her lifetime. Her last novel Persuasion was published posthumously after her death in 1817.
This 2020 film version of Emma stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma Woodhouse and she is very good as the snobby control freak who is trying to play matchmaker to her friend Harriet Smith also played very well by Mia Goth. The standout performance for me in this movie is Miranda Hart as Miss Bates as the kind hearted but overbearingly boring twittering Village spinster. Miranda Hart gives the character humour and colour and her performance is worth the price of seeing this good film. The male characters in this predominantly female dominated story apart from Bill Nighy as the eccentric and delightfully self obsessed humorous father of Emma and Josh O'Connor as Mr Elton The Village Vicar seemed to lightweight to me . The two romantic leads lacked charm and sex appeal to me Johnny Flynn as George Knightley looked a little scruffy and more suited to the role of Mr Robert Martin the good hearted farmer .Callum Turner also seemed lacking to me in his role as Frank Churchill the charming but deceitful potential suitor of Emma. Perhaps that was the intention of Autumn de Wilde another impressive female director to avoid well known male stars from stealing the limelight from the impressive women? Top 10/10 marks to the Production personnel on this version of Emma it's a joy to watch the Cinematography by Christopher Blauvelt ,Production Designer Kate Quinn, Art Director Alice Sutton, Set Director , Stella Fox (who did "Judy" Star Wars Episode V11,) and especially Costume Designer ,Alexandra Byrne ( Phantom of the Opera and Mary Queen of Scots) who should be nominated next year for an Oscar.
If you love the World of Jane Austen the frippery and foppery and that long lost past age of strict manners and snobbery of Georgian Society you're sure to love Emma . I couldn't help comparing Emma to the other recent period film set 60 years ahead in America Greta Gerwig's stunning version of "Little Women" with a character Jo March also not looking for marriage but with more a woman of substance than Emma.
Before she began the novel,Jane Austen wrote, "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like." Emma is spoiled, headstrong, and self-satisfied; she greatly overestimates her own matchmaking abilities; she is blind to the dangers of meddling in other people's lives; and her imagination and perceptions often lead her astray plus she is an awful snob. This was the last of Jane Austen's novels to be published and completed in her lifetime. Her last novel Persuasion was published posthumously after her death in 1817.
This 2020 film version of Emma stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Emma Woodhouse and she is very good as the snobby control freak who is trying to play matchmaker to her friend Harriet Smith also played very well by Mia Goth. The standout performance for me in this movie is Miranda Hart as Miss Bates as the kind hearted but overbearingly boring twittering Village spinster. Miranda Hart gives the character humour and colour and her performance is worth the price of seeing this good film. The male characters in this predominantly female dominated story apart from Bill Nighy as the eccentric and delightfully self obsessed humorous father of Emma and Josh O'Connor as Mr Elton The Village Vicar seemed to lightweight to me . The two romantic leads lacked charm and sex appeal to me Johnny Flynn as George Knightley looked a little scruffy and more suited to the role of Mr Robert Martin the good hearted farmer .Callum Turner also seemed lacking to me in his role as Frank Churchill the charming but deceitful potential suitor of Emma. Perhaps that was the intention of Autumn de Wilde another impressive female director to avoid well known male stars from stealing the limelight from the impressive women? Top 10/10 marks to the Production personnel on this version of Emma it's a joy to watch the Cinematography by Christopher Blauvelt ,Production Designer Kate Quinn, Art Director Alice Sutton, Set Director , Stella Fox (who did "Judy" Star Wars Episode V11,) and especially Costume Designer ,Alexandra Byrne ( Phantom of the Opera and Mary Queen of Scots) who should be nominated next year for an Oscar.
If you love the World of Jane Austen the frippery and foppery and that long lost past age of strict manners and snobbery of Georgian Society you're sure to love Emma . I couldn't help comparing Emma to the other recent period film set 60 years ahead in America Greta Gerwig's stunning version of "Little Women" with a character Jo March also not looking for marriage but with more a woman of substance than Emma.