Very rarely do I get excited about classic novels being adapted into more modern settings but there was something about Autumn de Wilde's Emma. that genuinely intrigued me. Whether it was the inclusion of Anya Taylor-Joy as the film's protagonist or the seemingly quick and clever direction, I was actually interested in what this film could offer me. While I did very much enjoy the performances and technical elements throughout, the adapted script never completely sold me. A film can be as fancy and witty as possible but without strong writing to sell the story to me, it is very hard to get attached. This was the main problem with the film, as it could never quite strike that balance between the two genres of comedy and romance that it is famously known for. There is a lot to love about this film and I can not say that it was a waste of time, but it was simply not up my alley. Good for a one-time watch but not quite good enough for me to stay thinking about it, this film has a lot of strange qualities and thankfully, the majority are redeemable.
Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy), a handsome, clever, and rich woman living in 1800s England, has served as a matchmaker for countless members of her friends and family. While she is an expert at setting people up and creating love for those around her, she has yet to discover the meaning of it herself. That all changes, however, when she becomes entangled in a web of romance between her best friend Harriet Smith (Mia Goth) and the dashing young George Knightley (Johnny Flynn). This script, written by Eleanor Catton and adapted from the novel of the same name by Jane Austen, is where I found myself quite bored during the majority of this film. Catton's script is very tight with plenty of room for quick and sharp chemistry between the cast but the dialogue itself fell into such stereotypical territory and I could not feel any genuine realism from the writing. My main issue is how unable this film to efficiently combine the two genres and make me actually care about these characters. When Emma. was funny, it was very funny: lots of clever dialogue and interactions between the characters to keep me on my toes. And when Emma. was more dramatic and romantic, it achieved that very well too. However, this film switched between the two with such clunkiness that I could never tell what was supposed to be played for a joke or not. Perhaps it is also because manners and social presence were much different hundreds of years ago, but there was a lot about this film that I failed to connect with. As for de Wilde's direction, she did a fantastic job of translating this story and making it decently exciting but frankly, did not stand out enough to distinguish her own style very well.
Thankfully, there are a lot of this film's technical elements that were able to make my price of admission worth it. Of course, the standout throughout this film is the performance from Anya Taylor-Joy. After being in such dramatic and astounding horror roles, it was fantastic to see her take on a more lighthearted and lively film such as this one. Taylor-Joy is an absolutely charming actress who embodied Emma Woodhouse incredibly well, along with the wit and often pretentious nature that comes from someone of her social class. Bill Nighy and Mia Goth also steal so many scenes that they are a part of, especially the hilarious Nighy with his character of Emma's father. The humor throughout this film was a huge part that I enjoyed immensely and it is enhanced by much of the visual humor as well. Lots of gags in this film are derived from quick camera whips or subtle sound effects and the editing from Nick Emerson combines all of that to help the comedic timing. I was able to chuckle at many adorable moments throughout this film and Christopher Blauvelt's cinematography helped with that. His camerawork is incredibly exquisite and provided for such elegant colors throughout the settings of this film. This entire movie was brightly lit and exploded with pastel from off the screen and these creative choices matched the tone of the story excellently. Some more of the obvious elements that blew me away was the use of music and costuming. The costumes are incredibly detailed and were gorgeous to look at while the music helped throughout each scene and both helped to establish this story as a period piece elegantly.
Emma. is exactly what one could expect when watching a modern Jane Austen adaptation with a cast of likable performers. There is so much to love about this film and while classic literature aficionados will undoubtedly enjoy this, I found a lot of its story to be a rehash of plot points present in countless other films. This story might have set the bar and gave way for many of the tropes in the rom-com genre, but that did not change how little it affected me.
My Rating: ★★★
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