Movie Review: Emma.

Emma. *** ½ / *****

Directed by: Autumn de Wilde.

Written by: Eleanor Catton based on the novel by Jane Austen.

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy (Emma Woodhouse), Johnny Flynn (Mr. Knightley), Mia Goth (Harriet Smith), Miranda Hart (Miss Bates), Bill Nighy (Mr. Woodhouse), Josh O'Connor (Mr. Elton), Callum Turner (Frank Churchhill), Amber Anderson (Jane Fairfax), Rupert Graves (Mr. Weston), Gemma Whelan (Miss Taylor / Mrs. Weston), Tanya Reynolds (Mrs. Augusta Elton), Connor Swindells (Robert Martin), Chloe Pirrie (Isabella Knightley), Oliver Chris (John Knightley).

 

The best thing about Autumn de Wilde’s Emma is how fully the film embraces the inherent silliness of the narrative. Jane Austen, of course, wrote many great novels – and Emma, her last, could easily be dismissed as her most frivolous – and yet there is so much joy in the telling of what is essentially the self-absorption of the main character that you cannot help but enjoy it all – even going so far as to like Emma, who is vain and vapid, and uses people as her own personal playthings. You should hate her – but instead, you are utterly charmed. De Wilde’s film nails this.

 

Anya Taylor-Joy stars as the title character – a rich woman in the Victorian age, living with her hypochondriac widowed father (a delightful Bill Nighy). Emma Woodhouse is popular in her little social circle of course – people just adore her, and she fancies herself a matchmaker – recently getting setting up the marriage of her au pair, Miss Taylor (Gemma Whelan) to marry the widower, Mr. Weston (Rupert Graves) – something no one thought possible. Her latest mission is to find an appropriate match for Harriet Smith (Mia Goth) – a young woman of unknown parentage, at the school for girls in the area, that she has taken under her wing. Harriet is already in love with farmer Robert Martin (Connor Swindells) – but Emma considers that beneath her – he isn’t poor enough to help out of pity, but not rich enough to take seriously. No, a far better match would be Mr. Elton (Josh O’Connor), the local vicar. As for her own prospects, she insists she will not marry – she couldn’t leave father – but seems interested in Frank Churchill (Callum Turner), Weston’s son, who has recently become the heir to his rich uncle – and taken his name. Then there is Jane Fairfax (Amber Anderson), her old rival, and niece to the very annoying Miss Bates (Miranda Hart). Oh, and don’t forget Mr. Knightley (Johnny Flynn), from down the road. He and Emma needle each other with insults – so you know they are really in love.

 

All of this is so inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but the film knows this, embraces it, and turns it all into a delightful farce. Autumn de Wilde would have likely been right at home making screwball comedies in the 1930s Hollywood system. Anya Taylor-Joy is a complete delight as Emma as well – best known for more serious work in films like The Witch, Split or Thoroughbreds, here she completely embraces her comedic side and delivers a wonderful comedic performances. Add in the most elaborate, colorful, and beautiful, yet silly, costumes in a period piece I’ve seen in a while, and you have a delightful package.

 

I do wish perhaps the film was a little shorter – sustaining this comic momentum for over two-hours is hard, and the film strains more than a little under the weight – especially once you realize who is going to end up with whom (which is the only question really to answer here) – but also realize you still have 45-minutes left in the film. Still, that’s a minor quibble in a film that I basically had a blast watching – and that gets Jane Austen’s novel just right.