Emma

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Callum Turner, Amber Anderson, Angus Imrie, Letty Thomas, Gemma Whelan, Rupert Graves, Josh O'Connor, Bill Nighy
Directed by: Autumn de Wilde
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
2020

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Emma (Anya Taylor-Jpy) meddles in the love lives of their friends, much to the consternation of her friend, Mr. Knightley (Johnny Flynn).

Review:

Tim: I was quite interested in seeing this film. I'm a Jane Austen fan and I also really enjoyed the 1996 version of Emma. Anya Taylor-Joy is a powerhouse actress and I was quite excited to see how she'd play this role. The film was also nominated for two Academy Awards- Best Makeup & Hairstyling and Best Costume Design. All these things point to at least a good movie and that's what this is- a good movie. While I enjoyed the film and would certainly recommend it, I don't think it climbed to the heights of the 1996 film (that one actually did win an Oscar, too). So, I'm two minds about this movie. It's good, but it's not good enough.

The biggest issue I had with the film was the cast. Outside of Taylor-Joy, the cast felt strangely uninspired. It may be unfair to compare this to the 1996 version, but that's what happens when you make adaptations like this. That film had Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Ewan McGregor, and Toni Collette. I'm sorry, but Johnny Flynn and Callum Turner are clearly a step down. It's rare that I complain about casts, but I have to here. Taylor-Joy is such a talented actress and I thought she worked well as Emma. She plays it with a lot less charm and energy than Paltrow did, but it felt like her performance was appropriate for the character. I liked her characterization of Emma and I didn't have any complaints about the work she did. She can absolutely play this kind of role well. I wasn't a big fan of Johnny Flynn as Knightley, though. His performance felt flat and uninspired. He's never bad in the role, but I never felt the sense of chemistry between he and Taylor-Joy that was needed. Knightley is such a fantastic character and that didn't show up here. The key to this relationship on screen is that Knightley starts out rough but as the film progresses, you like him more and more. That didn't quite happen here. Now, some of this is absolutely due to the direction of Autumn de Wilde, but the relationship between Knightley and Emma needed to be stronger. We needed more chemistry between these two characters. Flynn was fine, but uninspired. Callum Turner was fine as Frank Churchill. Again, though, I didn't really see the spark between Churchill and Emma. That's pretty critical to the overall story and it just didn't happen here. He is supposed to feel like a worthy rival and Turner's performance didn't quite get there. I haven't been a fan of Turner in the other two roles I've seen of him. He might have been a bit better here, but he did nothing to win me over. His performances always feel flat and bored. He brought a bit more energy here, but I'm still convinced he isn't talented enough to ever be a very good actor. My complaints extend to the rest of the cast, too. Mia Goth was perfectly fine but forgettable. Josh O'Connor was okay. I liked Rupert Graves' performance- outside of Taylor-Joy, he was definitely one of the stronger cast members. It seems strange to me that the casting felt so off here. It's a big reason why I didn't like the movie more.

Having the wrong cast certainly sinks films, as is the case here. The rest of de Wilde's film is pretty good. It obviously has a wonderful source material, so that helps. You know the story is going to work and mostly hold our interest. The costumes and hairstyling and makeup were all strong, as you'd expect in a period film like this one. The Academy Award nominations weren't a surprise, nor the lack of wins.

I'm sure I sound negative and I don't necessarily mean to. True, I don't think this Emma is as good as the 1996 one, but it's still an enjoyable, well made movie. Taylor-Joy is strong in the lead role and I appreciated the film gave her the opportunity to flex her acting muscles. It presents a compelling story and memorable characters. This is absolutely a good movie. I simply think that with a better cast, it could have been much more.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Pride & Prejudice, The Queen's Gambit