- A clever, charming adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel. A nice peek inside the silliness of 19th century British high society.

Full Disclosure: I’ve never read a Jane Austen book in my life, thus I was completely ignorant of the source material for this film. Actually, I guess I wasn't completely ignorant, as I have seen Clueless multiple times. What drew me to the theater here was Anya Taylor-Joy, who is one of my favorite up-and-coming actresses in the industry today.

Review

“Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and a happy disposition… and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.” This is the opening sentence of the Jane Austen novel, Emma. It’s also the first thing the audience sees via opening title cards in this latest adaptation of the book. I had to roll my eyes when I saw that. What had I gotten myself in to? Am I really about to spend the next 120 minutes of my life watching a movie about a spoiled, rich, stuck-up bitch with no real problems and who is not relatable at all? Thankfully, as the plot unfolded, that did not turn out to be the case at all. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. It’s well-acted, beautifully shot, and keeps a brisk pace throughout.

Anya Taylor-Joy really gets to show off her phenomenal range as an actress in her turn as Emma Woodhouse.

First and foremost, Emma serves as a vehicle for Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Thoroughbreds) to showcase her star power. For being only 23 years old, she already has a remarkable series of films under her belt. She’s been on my radar as one of the best young actresses on the planet since her breakout role in the 2015 horror masterpiece The Witch. I’ve been impressed with her abilities and range in every film I’ve seen her in since. She has such a unique look. Those far apart, saucer-sized brown eyes are enchanting on the big screen. She always uses every tool in her acting kit to her advantage. I doubt I would’ve gone to see this if a complete unknown were cast in the titular role.

Taylor-Joy flawlessly navigates what I’m sure must be a very difficult character to portray. Emma is spoiled, rich, naive, vain, shallow, superficial, and arrogant. She seems to be, at least on the surface, a wholly unlikeable main character. Despite her flaws, Emma is never intentionally mean-spirited or malicious. She is, at her core, a good person; she just doesn’t know any better. She lives an utterly sheltered life in the English countryside, with no knowledge of life outside of her social bubble.

Emma and her father, Mr. Woodhouse (Bill Nighy) attend an over-the-top church service.

Emma’s naiveté is in no small part the fault of her overbearing, hypochondriac father, Mr. Woodhouse, who is hilariously brought to life by the incredible Bill Nighy. His deadpan delivery of every line elevates each scene he appears in. When he’s not on screen, I wished he was. Despite Taylor-Joy’s great performance, Bill Nighy totally steals the show here. It’s amazing too, because the character of Mr. Woodhouse is the antithesis of charismatic. He’s the epitome of the stuffy, elitist British aristocrat. I don’t believe he cracks a smile throughout the entire film, but he is nonetheless a joy to watch. That’s a true testament to Nighy’s talent. He does more with a subtle roll of the eyes than most actors could do with a five minute monologue. It’s way too early to start handing out awards, but as of right now, he’s one of my front-runners for a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

Relatively unknown actor Johnny Flynn as the roguish George Knightly.

A melodramatic romance like Emma would be nothing without chemistry between its lead and her primary love interest. Luckily, actor/musician Johnny Flynn more than delivers in this regard. His turn as George Knightly was everything you look for in a film such as this. The ruggedly handsome Knightly is the perfect foil to Frank Churchill (Callum Turner), the pretty boy with the chiseled jawline (and Emma’s other love interest). Despite the thirteen year age gap between Taylor-Joy and Flynn, they have remarkable chemistry with one another. There are moments of comedy and melancholy in equal measure between the two characters, and their plutonic-yet-romantically-charged relationship is wholly believable. You could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife.

Rounding out the endlessly enjoyable main cast is Game of Thrones alum Gemma Whelan as Mrs. Weston, Sherlock veteran Rupert Graves as Mr. Weston, Josh O’Connor as the insufferable Mr. Elton, Tanya Reynolds as his even more insufferable wife, Miranda Hart as dim-witted blabbermouth Miss Bates, and Mia Goth as the hopelessly stupid yet kind-hearted Harriet Smith.

Emma and her mouth-breathing cohort Harriet take in a breathtaking performance on the piano.

Spoilers Ahead

While it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Emma would wind up with Mr. Knightley in the end, the story had enough convincing twists and turns throughout that the happy ending we were all rooting for was left in genuine doubt (at least for those unfamiliar with the source material). That’s some damn fine storytelling right there. I guess I always knew what the ending would be since Alicia Silverstone’s character wound up with Paul Rudd’s in Clueless, which is a (very) loose adaptation of Emma. That said, I’ll take a 19th century period piece set in England over a 1995 movie about vapid California valley girls any time.

Taylor-Joy and Flynn in a sexually-charged dance number.

5 Quick Hits

The obligatory climactic sequence where the main guy professes his undying love for the main girl had a unique comedic twist that I was pleasantly surprised by. Instead of a passionate kiss accompanied by swelling romantic music, Emma gets a nosebleed at the most inopportune time. It was funny, awkward, and sweet all at once.
The landscapes in this movie were nothing short of breathtaking. Director Autumn De Wilde perfectly captures the serene, untouched beauty of the English countryside. Green rolling hills dotted with grazing sheep gives the audience an immersive experience that takes you away to a time gone by.
Mr. Woodhouse’s constant concern over feeling a chill in the house was hilarious throughout the movie, and it played brilliantly into the final scene. Woodhouse is barricaded behind a couple of windscreens while Emma and George share their first kiss just feet away from her father.
The scene where Jane Fairfax completely upstages Emma during their performances on the piano was another great comedic moment. Emma is a more than decent musician, but Jane is an absolute virtuoso when it comes to tickling the ol’ ivories.
Even the end credits of Emma were beautiful. All of the credits were enveloped in an elaborate gold filagree that made it seem like a work of art in its own right.