Photo courtesy of UPI. Catch Emma. in Berlin cinemas now!
Based on Jane Austen’s 1815 novel about the restless matchmaker Emma Woodhouse, Emma. is an engrossingly stylish, perfectly acted but unambitiously faithful adaptation that feels like it could have been much more. The film’s release date does not play in its favour, as it comes hot off the heels of Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, a far superior costume drama that has ambition to spare. Emma. prefers to play it safe rather than rock the frocks, and because the novel has been adapted so many times (perhaps best of all with 1995’s Clueless), its reluctance to set itself apart is even more frustrating. Still, the pitch-perfect supporting cast truly are beyond reproach, with brilliant turns from Josh O’Connor as the ingratiating Mr. Elton, Mia Goth playing ingenue Harriet Smith, as well as the hilarious yet touching Miranda Hart as Miss Bates. They make it worth the price of a ticket.
Emma. | Directed by Autumn de Wilde (UK, 2020), with Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Josh O’Connor, Mia Goth. Starts Mar 5.
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