By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Autumn de Wilde
Starring: Angus Imrie | Anya Taylor-Joy | Bill Nighy | Gemma Whelan | Johnny Flynn | Letty Thomas | Miranda Hart | Rupert Graves
Country: united_kingdom
Year: 2020
Running time: 124
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9214832/reference
Michael says: “Did we need yet another adaptation of Jane Austen’s popular novel Emma? Probably not. Did I thoroughly enjoy Eleanor Catton’s 2020 adaptation of said classic comedy of manners directed by Autumn de Wilde? Yes, I did, despite myself. Led by a lovely, mannered, yet ultimately realistic performance by Anna Taylor-Joy (‘The Queen’s Gambit,’ THE NEW MUTANTS, THE WITCH), this version of EMMA. hits all the right notes, explores the varied class differences, and details of the time period beautifully, and pushes the artifice that bring the humor, but successfully grounds Emma’s arc into believable reality in a way that really works. I was unfamiliar with much of the cast of this film, other than Ms. Taylor-Joy and lovely supporting performances by Bill Nighy and Rupert Graves. At first a bit put off by Johnny Flynn’s somewhat pouty portrayal of Mr. Knightley, he ended up growing on my quite a bit, giving Emma’s often arrogant sparring partner a vulnerability and warmth usually absent. Miranda Hart’s put upon, chatterbox, Miss Bates, was delightfully comedic, yet powerfully sympathetic when hit by one of Emma’s unintentional barbs.