A Young Woman Finds Love for Others, and for Herself

Anya Taylor-Joy and Johnny Flynn in "Emma"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Like some of Jane Austen’s other novels, her 1815 novel, “Emma,” has been adapted numerous times, both through television and movies, with one of those films being the hit 1995 high-school comedy, “Clueless.”  With all of these adaptations, “Emma” has been reinvigorated throughout the decades as a treat those who have read the book and to bring in new fans.

The latest example of this is director Autumn de Wilde’s “Emma,” which transports us to all of the wit and elegance for which this story calls and brings us a wonderful lead performance in the process.

Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy) is a young, rich British woman who has a love for matchmaking.  Soon, she becomes acquainted with several men, and the events that follow have them and several others embroiled in an increasingly complicated web of reciprocated and unreciprocated love.

Following her impressive performances in films like “The Witch,” “Split,” and “Thoroughbreds,” Taylor-Joy continues to impress with her array of memorable characters.  As Emma, Taylor-Joy becomes immersed in her character, being in full command of the screen and her character’s environment, displaying an unwavering confidence in portraying a well-known literary figure.  Taylor-Joy does superb work in displaying Emma’s outgoingness and mischievousness in the first half of the movie, and then moves on to remorse and confusion in the second half as Emma faces the negative outcomes of her actions.  The way in which Taylor-Joy uses her character’s facial expressions to grant you access into the plans that Emma is crafting in her mind is one of the aspects that makes her character so much fun, and Taylor-Joy’s approach to portraying Emma will win you over right from the first scene.

The film has a terrific supporting cast, which includes Johnny Flynn as George Knightley, a landowner and Emma’s eventual love interest; Bill Nighy as Mr. Woodhouse, Emma’s dryly humorous father; and Miranda Hart as the eccentric and always-talking family friend, Miss Bates.  However, the two standouts are Mia Goth as Emma’s friend, Harriet Smith, and Josh O’Connor as Mr. Elton, a local clergyman.  Goth is perfect as a young woman who exemplifies the shyness and giddiness of someone falling in love, as well as the hurt and betrayal when certain events happen later on that make her relationships become more complicated.  O’Connor is hilarious as Mr. Elton, always exhibiting a hint of creepiness and awkwardness in his smile physical movements, and you can’t help but think that you would love to see him play a villain in a movie or television show at some point in the future.

The screenplay by Eleanor Catton juggles all of its delightful characters as it brings them through many romantic mishaps.  Although the story might become a little repetitive with everyone becoming involved with the wrong people and having to fix, it’s still a fun outing.  I’ve never read the book, so I’m not sure if goes a little deeper than the movie or not, but if you haven’t read the book, there’s still much to enjoy as the story explores the intricacies that sprout from the many misunderstandings that the characters experience in their attempts to win over the person for whom they have an affection.  Other than the movie’s main character, the story dedicates enough time to the supporting characters who find themselves in their amorous situations and dives into the consequences that they face, be they humorous or emotional.

With production design by Kave Quinn, art direction by Alice Sutton, set decoration by Stella Fox, and costumes by Alexandra Byrne, you’re instantly swept away by the upscale lifestyle of Emma and her family.  All of this is beautifully captured by Christopher Blauvelt’s cinematography.  Blauvelt, who makes a smooth transition from the small-frame intimacy of Kelly Reichardt’s drama, “First Cow,” from earlier this month to the wider views of the English countryside and its stately architecture, captures all of the grandeur of Emma’s home as we travel through the decadence of the hallways, living areas, and dining rooms.  You feel yourself absorbed in all of the gorgeous details of this time period, details that cordially invite you to a two-hour getaway of romantic mishaps.

In her feature film directorial debut, de Wilde provides the movie with an abundance of energy as we’re introduced to all of the characters and quickly become caught up in the whirlwind of who has feelings for who.  This is kept up throughout the first half of the movie, but de Wilde knows when to slow the movie down when Emma must fix the mistakes that she has made from of her attempts to be a matchmaker. 

De Wilde has made a film that places equal emphasis on characters, story, and visual splendor, which is something that an adaptation of a work from Austen deserves.  All of this makes “Emma” a cheerful and heartwarming movie that explores what it means to be guided and misguided by matters of the heart.

Grade: A-