Emma. — Movie Review
by KJ Proulx
Films that have an elegant feel and take place hundreds of years in the past usually don’t draw me in. For that reason alone, take this review with a grain of salt. Based on the Jane Austin novel of the same name, of which I have never read, I went into this film blindly, as I haven’t even seen the previous adaptations either. Although I will be admitting some great things about this film as a whole, I personally found it to be average overall. Here’s why you’ll probably love this movie if you’re into these types of films, but also why it won’t win you over if you’re not.
Emma. follows Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy) as she observes the ongoing relationships of her friends and family. Becoming too involved in certain areas, she begins to disrupt those relationships. In particular, she complicates things with her friend Harriet (Mia Goth) when she convinces her to make certain decisions. This made for a slightly frustrating experience for me, as I wasn’t too fond of her actions. With that said, Anya Taylor-Joy as the titular character was fantastic, as she always is.
Although I haven’t seen tons of movies featuring Taylor-Joy in a meaty role like this, I have to admit that her being in a film does pique my interest. Her, along with the supporting cast of this movie, all do a great job in sucking you into this time period. I felt like I was transported back into the 1800s, which is no small feat. Movies like this simply don’t work unless the production design is flawless and this film was pretty close to perfect in that regard. Being in the business as a production designer for over 25 years, Kave Quinn did some great work here.
This brings me to whether or not you should watch the movie in general. Fans of stories from this time period that are prone to liking movies like this from time to time will probably love this film, because all the elements that these movies usually bore me with are extremely well done, admittedly. There is a flip side to that though. I’ve never been interested in movies like this unless they broke new ground and made a fresh new spin as The Favourite did in 2018. This movie was very well done though, so I definitely feel a positive grade is warranted.
In the end, Emma. may not break any new ground for the genre, but it will more than please those who have been eager to see it. For anyone else, I fear it will either mildly entertain you or leave you bored. The 2-hour run time definitely felt its length for me and I didn’t feel that the story went in many interesting directions. I’ve never exposed myself to this story in the past though, so perhaps this wasn’t the best version to start with. Overall, it’s a well-made period piece that just didn’t interest me all that much.
Rating: 3/5
Check out the trailer below:
