By Renee’ C.
Rating: 4.5 (Out of 5 Reels)
In 1800s England, a well-meaning but selfish young woman, Jane (Anya Taylor-Joy), meddles in the love lives of her friends (IMDB).
I, for one, love period pieces and am a huge fan of Jane Austen’s writing. I have also seen just about every version of the movies made from her stories over the last several decades. I generally look forward to seeing these beloved stories updated now and again, and I suppose it will never stop, I hope.
Taylor-Joy is a great choice in this new version as Emma Woodhouse because she effortlessly portrays the spoiled, arrogant, and meddling socialite. I would be remis if I didn’t mention Bill Nighy’s portrayal of Mr. Woodhouse because he steals the show with his deadpan expressions. He simply asks, “do you feel a draft” and the mayhem ensues as his servants’ scramble to block them from making him cold. I have never laughed this much watching an Austen story in the past which is quite refreshing.
For the most part, the costumes in these types of movies are done very well. However, in this film Emma’s clothes are absolutely spectacular. Although, I have seen the high collared shirts that men wore in these films many times I felt claustrophobic for them for some reason in this case because it looked uncomfortable.
If you are a fan of Austen then you should see this film. They did move a few things around and I was surprised about the slightly different direction it took in the end.