Gosh... I love Anya Taylor Joy but couldn't for the life of me care about this story. It's visually stunning and all but ugh... unapologetically boring.
Anna Taylor played a delightfully mischevious Emma.
High production values with the costumes and sets but I didn't care for the plot or characters and didn't find it funny.
All I can say is meh. Really didn't care about it.
I really want to like this adaptation but after giving it a second chance I still don’t like it. The music doesn’t fit, the comedy is trying too hard, Knightley is unlikable, I don’t like the way it’s shot, most of the sets are ugly, and the weird addition of a nosebleed during THAT scene. The only thing I can think of that I like are the costumes and Anya’s performance.
Hated the first half of it and stopped watching but resumed this morning and liked the other half much better. Haven't seen other versions or read the book though so I can't compare.
I like it. I never liked period movies, most specially romance period movies but this one, I definitely enjoyed. I think because of the humor, the set and the costumes. One thing I didn't like was the names of so many characters though, I mix them all up..Mrs. who? mr what? lol. I never read the book so I do feel like I'm missing most of the story. Judging from the comments here, it seems like this movie is a light-hearted adaptation of Emma. I'm glad that it isn't heavy drama cause I will probably will never finish this movie.
This is the third adaptation I have seen. I feel like this version was made for the younger generations that haven’t seen the previous two.
It was watchable and I liked the costumes.
Didn’t quite understand why all the young gils wore red bonnets and clocks.
I wasn’t really planning on watching this. For some reason, I felt like the main actress was too much for me and I had no intention of watching it but surprisingly enough I fell in love with her and her acting by the end of the movie. I’m not saying it’s the best movie out there but it was quite enjoyable and I liked the main actresses character for I felt like she had some character development and growth which I enjoyed. I also liked Mr. Knightley’s character which I didn’t really expect.
These types of stories don't mean much to me, but the boredom i felt was balanced well enough by the occasional humour and the gorgeous set and costume design.
My least favorite Emma adaptation. This one doesn't do drama as well as its predecessors, and although it added some comedy (Bill Nighy playing Emma's father was a delight) and Miranda was a wonderful Miss Bates, I was honestly hoping for more originality.
My least favorite Emma adaptation. They shot for too much humor and missed out on the heart that makes Emma an enjoyable story. Mr. Knightley was neither old nor steady enough. The audience were sometimes treated like we’re stupid (Miss Bates being visibly upset vs. Miss Bates trying to hide her hurt feelings under a layer of mocking herself more; no fault of Miranda Hart’s, whom I always enjoy) and sometimes things were so glossed over that we needed to be mind readers or just familiar with the story. Meh. I had higher hopes for this movie, but was disappointed.
I love Emma. It is one of my favorite stories of Jane Austen's. I find it endlessly entertaining how much of an entitled brat she is at the beginning to then grow up and mature throughout the story.
However, I gotta admit, the BBC's mini series remains my favorite retelling of this old classic (with the modern Youtube adaptation a close second). This version was whimsical and fun, and definitely didn't take itself at all seriously, but at times it was almost like a parody. Also, I don't know that it did a good job of explaining how Harriet came to be in Emma's life. And don't get me started about her missing eyebrows. So distracting! LOL
Maybe a rewatch of the miniseries is in order now that we're all on lockdown because of the Coronavirus pandemic. I'll add it to the list after the Little Women miniseries, which I also feel like rewatching after the new movie.
Beautiful sets, costumes and design. The best Miss Bates and a fun jaunt into our favourite land of Austen. Weirdly unnecessary use of nudity and glossing over of the storytelling (probably as it has been well and truly told before, so fair enough). So beautiful!
mia goth and anya tailor joy together is everything to me. they are my favourites actresses. <3
i need more recs like this one with similar pastel color palettes and cinematography, i loved it
It's quite an interesting version of Emma, isn't it? It definitely feels modernized, despite not changing the actual time the story is set in. Or let me put it like this, it feels more modern than the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice but thankfully not as modernized as other recent adaptations of classics.
I recently reread the book, so I'm very much into Emma mode right now. Behold though, my first ever introduction to the story and characters wasn't the novel, but rather the 1996 version starring Gwyneth Paltrow, so that will always be special to me.
Nevertheless, I really enjoyed that version. While some aspects of the story were cut short (it is a long book after all) I think they got the most important beats and delivered well on them.
The film looks gorgeous. It has such a nice aesthetic and direction Autumn de Wilde really had a vision here. I wasn't always keen on the costumes (poor Johnny Flynn in that ridiculous collar) but overall it was just beautiful to look at.
The choices of music were odd to say the least. There was quite too much, well, comedic soundtrack or sound effects in the background. It gave the movie and unintentional (was it unintentional?) tone of a 1940s screwball comedy which didn't fit with the rest of it.
The casting was mostly great. Anya Taylor-Joy is a fantastic Emma and casting Bill Nighy as Mr. Woodhouse was also a great idea. Josh O'Conner makes for a very slimy Mr. Elton (who is worse, Mr. Elton or Mr. Collins? Discuss!) and Callum Turner was equally charming as well as slightly irritating as Mr. Churchill, as he should be. Miranda Hart as Miss Bates was a genius move, because she managed to make one of the most annoying characters feel earnest and even sympathetic. Rupert Graves (we all know his name is Greg, please get that reference) and Gemma Whelan perfectly rounded up the cast as the Westons.
I had my issues with Mia Goth as Harriet though. An unpopular opinion, as it seems. I admit that Harriet is far from my favorite character and I don't really like her in any adaptation or the book, but Goth made her a bit too ditzy for my liking.
Then there's Johnny Flynn, who I wasn't sure of in the beginning. Maybe it just took me a minute to get used to a blonde Mr. Knightley or the fact that, despite being the right age, looking younger for me to fully believe him in the character, but he won me over with endless charm. It also helped to accept this version as a completely new interpretation of the character. Less stoic, more passionate and emotional. It's not quite Book Knightley, but it works here.
Taylor-Joy and Flynn have excellent chemistry, especially in the last half of the movie and I understand why people call it the "steamiest" or even "horniest" version of Emma, because there's electricity between them. Or, you can cut the sexual tension with a butter knife.
I don't know how this one ranks among other Emma adaptations for me at the moment, but I will say this much, it's worth it. It's fun, entertaining, keeps the spirit of the book and adds some new angles.
The film was based on one of Austen's novels which I haven't read so I cannot judge its faithfullness to the book (a feature which I highly value in book adaptations). It starts a bit slow and it is getting more interesting circa Spring and Summer parts. The visuals are stunning and it is a real eye-candy with all the dresses and sumptuous feasts, even the landscapes and the buildings are fairy-tale like. It seems that Anya Taylor-Joy is very good as Emma, though again it is hard to judge without knowing the book. On the whole, the film was quite enjoyable and there was also some sense of humour in it.
The ending with the weddings seemed a bit too abrupt, since Harriet claimed to be in love with Knightley and quickly returned her affections to her first love. As for Knightley, I am not sure why he finally married Emma since there was not much to recommend her as far as her character is concerned. What she did to Miss Bates was really horrible and since Emma humiliated her publicly, she should have apologised publicly as well. She was sorry but it seemed to me that her character didn't really change that much for the better and I cannot think what Knighley saw in her. Maybe it is better explained in the novel.
somehow i've managed to dislike emma woodhouse even more than i already do. kudos to anya.
I dunno why but I really enjoyed scenes with Miss Bates. Really funny character. Movie itself is not masterpiece but I love it anyway.
Light and fun, first time watching emma adaptation
A great supporting role by Bill Nighy.
It is such a beautiful film. All the details are pretty. The story might not be very interesting but it is enjoyable. Anya Taylor-Joy is great and the score is marvelous.
The subtlety of wit. The elegance. The will-they-won't-they. The love triangles. Emma has it all and more.
Watch it, with captions if you must (I sure did, and look how it turned out for me), because it's such a delightful movie. It makes me yearn for a simpler time, because we could use a little more quaintness in times like these.
Anya Taylor-Joy stars in the newest adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel Emma. The story follows a wealthy socialite named Emma Woodhouse as she attempts to play matchmaker for her best friend, but her efforts don’t turn out as she expects. Taylor-Joy gives a strong performance and has good chemistry with her co-stars. However, the script is a little weak, as the plot is a bit unclear at times and the dialog can be difficult to follow. Still, the costumes and sets are especially well-done; giving an authentic feel for the period. And the music helps to set a whimsical tone that enhances the comedy and romance. All in all, Emma is and entertaining and fun film that does the novel justice.
They say that: When the devil has nothing to do, he kills flies with his tail, because since Emma has nothing better to do, she acts as a matchmaker. Good atmosphere and sets, the actors well, I liked it, but I see it not very fluid
There are many versions of Emma out there in film and TV-land and the fans of Jane Austen are as voracious and opinionated and dare I say angry as any Star Wars or Marvel Comic fans, in fact they started all of this silliness long before these particular sub-groups.
A well-known and well-loved story is never going to transfer for the screen, big or small, as the prose was written and never as the reader sees it in their mind’s eye. You must get over this quickly or it probably would be wise never to watch an adaptation of your favourite literature. Time, costs, casting, screen/scriptwriting, the director are all going change things, alter the story and characters to suit their means and how they want the story told. Let us all be sensible folks; you must go into any adaptation with your eyes open.
Emma is compressed – the film is just over two hours long – but not to any detriment for my viewing. It starts with Emma seeing herself on her own after her governess leaves to become Miss Weston.
The look of film is bright and airy, with detail to costumes which to be honest I have no expert knowledge if they were accurate or not but they fitted the cinematography and the acting, they looked the part if that makes any sense. Brighter colours were used rather he more diaphanous white nightgown look of other versions. Clearly the directing, the way we are shown is with a modern eye, but it always pays dues to the period and original story.
Mia Goth shines so very brightly as Harriet and is naive, innocent and lovely and brings a tear to your eye in the famous dance scene that no other Harriet has done before and Emma for once is shown as not a particularly nice Emma in this version, she earns her conversion to realisation. I particularly like the whole attitude that all the main cast showed to the ‘staff’ entirely accurate from my understand for that time. They were there to serve them hand and foot and nothing else. Credit de Wynter’s directing and Angus Imrie, Celia’s son, and Edward Davies as the main footman ‘servants’ skilfully ringing out all they can from non-speaking and non-main character roles.
Mr. Knightly, a character probably imagined more than Emma by original fans of the book, is well realised in this film. Barrel chested, broad-shouldered, hirsute, manly and rock-star-like I found his character perfect for a 21st century version of Emma. I wanted to be his friend. Mr. Elton was more a version of his namesake Ben Elton and like the other well-known characters in this tale he is somewhat side-lined for the focus of Emma, Harriet and Mr. Knightly but to my mind this is no bad thing. Miranda Hart as the ‘poor’ Miss Bates brings another tear to the eye in another well-known scene.
Emma herself is well-cast by the elfin-like Anya Taylor-Joy who brings a new look and new personality to Austen’s titular heroine. Her father, a very important character in her life, is played by the inimitable Bill Nighy who can do this role in his sleep, probably my only complaint is we could have seen a bit more of the great actor but somethings have to give.
All-in-all Emma is a very well-known story even for people who haven’t read the source or are specifically fans of Jane Austen so you have to be brave and confident to commit it film yet again and try to show or say something different. Even more surprising then the Autumn de Wilde (the greatest name) is a first time director, okay she is a successful photography and music video director but a feature film of a much-loved work really is an entirely different kettle of fish. The vision, the confidence of what she wanted to show, cut-out, highlight and who she wanted to cast earn nothing but praise from me. Ably assisted in the screenplay by Eleanor Catton this Emma gets to the grist of the story, a love story of yearning tied up in restrictive strictures and values of the day. Nice work.
Emma is a great entertaining fun film. It holds up well and is better than a lot of adaptations. The acting is uniformly good and the main characters well-cast. The look is sumptuous and eye-catching without being too over top and the feel is modern enough to capture younger audiences that may perhaps not be interested.
You may have guessed - I quite liked it.
I liked the Gwyneth Paltrow version way better.
fantastic film, both my wife and me enjoyed very much
It's OK. Light and reasonably funny, but not very real or convincing as some Emma versions are. This is more a standard romcom.
Shout by Lee Brown Barrow Movie BuffVIP 3BlockedParent2020-06-27T10:35:02Z
Did we really need another adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma? Not really, but putting aside all notions of sense and sensibility, and perhaps your personal feelings of pride and prejudice, this is still a film worth watching, and that's partly because of the twinkling sense of humour at the movie's heart.