A Review of Emma. (2020)

emma

By Emma Barhydt

Emma Woodhouse is beautiful, is brilliant, and, most importantly, is always right. I should know, I am named after her. For the longest time, I was embarrassed to be named after a character in such an old and unimportant book. However, upon turning fifteen (and at my mother’s behest) I did finally read Emma by Jane Austin and for perhaps the first time in my life, I felt understood.

I saw myself in the pages of Emma and discovered that, unfortunately for my father, my mother had named me almost too well. I was (and still am) a girl with a proclivity for mischief, sharp tongue, and taste for expensive tea. So, with my namesake in mind, over the next five years I dutifully read Emma several times, read every “modern adaptation” given to me by relatives, watched most film adaptations, and now own a beautiful copy of Emma purchased while visiting Bath, England (Jane Austin’s birthplace).

I’ve found every new twist on Emma to be an interesting and seemingly never ending study of a character so dear to my heart. No film adaptation (besides perhaps Clueless), has ever come close to the absolute hilarity and brilliant comedy that is present in the book. Until now.

Meet Emma and all her devilish, rude, funny, overbearing, darling compatriots again in a fresh new light. Emma. (2020) by Autumn de Wilde is a literal laugh-out-loud comedy and love letter to Emma herself. Emma. is a rich comedy that leaves nothing to the imagination. You laugh and cry with our title character. You feel her embarrassment, her disappointment in herself, her confusion, her elation, and her growth. Emma. shows Emma for how she truly is: a beautiful, impatient, smart, spoiled young woman full of complications and flaws with the capacity to learn from it all. The sets and costumes are beautifully done, vibrant and fun; a brilliant turn away from the usual stuffy pastels of other adaptations while still staying true to the period. Not only are the sets fantastic, but they dutifully compliment the true focal point of the movie, the people. Emma. is a standout performance from every actor or actress involved.

Josh O’Connor’s version of Mr. Elton was positively striking. Having previously played Prince Charles in season 3 of The Crown, Josh O’Connor now has the opportunity to explore a character as detestable as Mr. Elton. With virtually no redeeming qualities aside from his looks and fortune, Mr. Elton is perhaps the worst (in personality) character in the entire movie, and the audience will love him for it. O’Connor really leaned into Mr. Elton’s overbearing ridiculous qualities and brings new life to a somewhat tired character.

Johnny Flynn as Mr. Knightly was delightful. Flynn’s version of Mr. Knightly was wholesome and bright. Unfortunately, many adaptations of Emma cast Mr. Knightly as a stern, quiet man giving him an almost parental role for Emma. In this version, Mr. Knightly is every bit as quick-witted and sharp tongued as Emma, if less impulsive. There is a tangible sizzle between Autumn de Wilde’s Mr. Knightly and Emma. Wilde has shown a new side of Mr. Knightly, not just as someone who chastises Emma, but as someone who actually does love her deeply, aches at her perceived love of another, and as the only person who can truly keep up with her.

Then there is Emma herself, brilliantly played by Anya Taylor-Joy. She brings a ferocity to Emma that I haven’t seen in other adaptations. She takes Emma’s wrongdoings and sets them up as – instead of her simply being an airhead – her being a tad thoughtless and loving her friends too much. There is a subtle toughness and definite wide-eyed wonder in Taylor-Joy’s Emma that invites people into her world. In short, this is the best adaptation of Emma I have ever seen, and I certainly hope it draws in both old fans and new, and helps them to see Emma as I do: brilliant, funny, bold, spoiled, selfish, and always evolving. And may I continue to learn from my mistakes just as gracefully as Miss Emma Woodhouse does from hers.

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