Emma.

From the first time I saw the trailer, which seems like a year and a half ago now, I was both confused and interested in this new adaptation of Emma, but I wasn’t inspired to watch it.  I think I even said I wasn’t going to be watching that in the theater. Jokes on me there, huh?

 

The preview ruffled something in me. I can’t out my finger on it even now. Maybe it was the heavy dose of awkward comedy. Or how sculpted all the actors looked.  I thought Wes Anderson was at the helm by the overall look of the trailer. To some, that would probably be a tick in the pro box but not retfor this girl. Something just didn’t appeal to me.

 

Things have changed obviously and new releases are still scarce. So, I figured paying five dollars or whatever it cost was worth it. We plunked down on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn and a relatively open mind. Divorcing myself from the initial reaction wasn’t difficult thanks to how long it had been since being bombarded with previews in a theater.

 

My optimism was not rewarded. 

 

Adam and I have a lot in common, including not giving up on movies. We will sit through a movie to conclusion even if we don’t like a movie. I can count on one hand the number of movies I’ve pulled the plug on. And I’ve watch a lot of movies. We had to add to our count of ripcorded movies with this latest adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma.

 

This, of course, irked my sensibilities so I did go back to the digital copy before the rental period was over to gut out the rest of the film. There was a vain hope that the movie improved during the second half. By nature of the story, I suppose it did get better in that a happy ending was accomplished, but that isn’t enough.

 

Let’s begin with the positives, shall we? 

 

Bill Nighy was a superb Mr. Woodhouse. He is a master at dry, ridiculous humor so he fit into the role beautifully. I would have a hard time choosing between his performance and Michael Gambino’s in the 2009 miniseries. I particularly enjoyed his antics at the end of the film that allowed Emma and Mr. Knightley to have sufficient time alone. Alright, not sufficient, but given the time period, that moment was probably tantemount to an eon.

 

The scenery, sets, and costuming were all stunning. It didn’t surprise me that the director is a photographer. This version is meticulous in its visual appeal. To suggest this adaption is anything less that gorgeous would be a bald faced lie. I think this above almost anything else I gleened in the trailer made me think that Wes Anderson was behind the film.

 

But beautiful costumes and sets are not enough to make a good movie. Just ask Titanic. Yeah, I went to the movies four or five times just like every other teenage girl at the time. But that doesn’t mean it was good.

 

I was so baffled by this rendition of Austen’s misfit heroine that I reread the book to make sure I didn’t misinterpret the characters. I legitimately questioned what I knew about Emma, Mr. Knightley and the rest of the Highbury set after watching de Wilde’s adaptation. 

 

In a quiet moment between Emma and Mr. Knightley, Emma, talking about Mr. Elton, says, “You saw a littleness in him which I did not.” This in a nutshell describes how I feel about de Wilde’s take on Emma. 

 

The character of Emma was imbued with more vanity than any of other of Austen’s heroine’s, but not to the extent found in this adaptation. Autumn de Wilde’s Emma is more like Mean Girls in Regency England than anything else. And in this version, Regina George wins. It’s hard to root for someone like Regina George. Even if her wardrobe was lushiously delightful. Which, you kind of need to be able to do .

 

By now, you can probably guess, I am not a fan of this film. I don’t want to say that. I never want to hate a movie. Hundreds of hours of creative effort goes into these spectaculars. But I can’t agree with the lens Jane Austen’s work has been filtered through here. 

 

Give me give me BBC One’s 2009 mini series any day. Or even the 1996 version starring Gwyneth Paltrow. Both have their stumbles but not to the same degree as this one.

 

All of that said, if you’ve never read the original work, you will probably enjoy this visual feast to the upmost. However, regardless of what side you fall on, we will all still be asking ourselves what was up with Emma and Mr. Knightley’s butt airing at the beginning of the film?