Emma. (2020)
Emma. (the punctuation reminds you you're watching a period piece) is a film that may find its audience limited to those either already familiar with Jane Austen’s novel or with an affinity for costume stories. Or perhaps not. Though some of it I didn’t completely grasp either because of the language, the early 19th-century customs or the numerous characters, I was taken by this tale. I saw it twice. Turns out I love this movie. Look forward to rich, memorable characters, sumptuous costumes, a terrific and enduring story, gorgeous cinematography and an excellent cast. As Autumn de Wilde's directorial debut, you couldn’t ask for much more.
“Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.” Uninterested in marriage or a career and already wealthy, Emma (Anya Taylor-Joy) busies herself by matchmaking - though she's not nearly as in-tune with matters of the heart as she believes herself to be.
Before anything else, you'll notice the movie's look. Every actor and actress gets to play a bit of professional dress-up in one mouth-watering outfit after another. They don't even look like clothes at a certain point, they look like slices of cake topped with colorful icing you want to devour. The camerawork and set designs take the visuals a step further, placing the characters against backgrounds that accentuate the porcelain-white quality of Anya Taylor-Joy’s skin or the beautiful color schemes. As something to simply watch, Emma. is terrific.
The trailers are selling this adaptation of the novel as a comedy and it is but you’re going to laugh aloud less than you’d expect. This is the kind of movie that transforms you into a proper British citizen because everyone in the story is so composed it would feel wrong to be bent over with laughter. You laugh politely, you smile at the silly women and eccentric men Emma encounters. You’re having a good time - though perhaps not in the way you expected. The generally quiet theater will enable you to better hear all the dialogue, which will allow you to better appreciate the characters. Emma is a joy. She’s a cut above the people who surround her but her elevation gets to her head and once in a while, she gets deservedly knocked down a peg - to her chagrin and your delight. All of the romantic misunderstandings are amusing the first time around and just as much upon rewatch when you know who’s ACTUALLY in love with who.
The cast brings the material to vivid life and it should come to no surprise. Everyone's been so carefully selected to act and look their parts they don't seem like actors - more like sculptures brought to life for this film's purposes. You're transported into this world and will be eager to return, assuming Emma. is the kind of movie that appeals to your sensibilities. (Theatrical version on the big screen, March 6th, and 8th, 2020)
