Emma
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Movie Reviews of Emma
Movie Review: The best adaptation of this novel
Summary: 5 Stars
There has been lots of enthusiastic hoopla over the newest (2009) BBC Emma with Romola Garai. But this earlier adaptation, with the wonderful script by Andrew Davies, is still the best. Davies has a genius for preserving period language, which, in Austen's case particuarly, is crucial to period drama. This is only one reason why I prefer this over the 2009 version, whose screenwriters have modernized and, in my opinion, dumbed down Austen's language.
This version is not only perfectly cast, but perfectly acted--all the characters are portrayed exactly as Austen wrote them. Production values, of course, are top drawer, and the musical score is appropriately suited to the period. (Another unfortunate trend these days, besides modernizing the language, is using music that is jarringly modern.)
Despite glowing customer reviews of the 2009 version, this one is still the most faithful in terms of language and character portrayal. Let's hope the current trend of trying to make Austen "fresh" for today's audience is short-lived. She is timeless just as she is.
Movie Review: Clueless in Old England
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie (like the modern version called "Clueless" several years ago)was made from the book by the same title and remains pretty true to the book. It is extremely well done and has an excellant cast. There are many times in the book when Emma sits and daydreams about her schemes. These are handled wonderfully in the movie and make her actions much easier to understand. The story concerns a young woman of good (and wealthy) family in England in the early 1800's who spends her time making matches among her friends and manages to mess everything up thoroughly before she's finished. It all works out in the end and the telling of it is a delight. Her father, a hypochondriac in the extreme, is also a delight. The scene where he tells an elderly lady at great length that an egg will not harm her, yet won't give it to her to eat, is especially well done. Action lovers will not like this, but if you are a Jane Austin fan or like movies about old English society, you'll love it.Movie Review: Best version out there!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the best version of Emma. I love Jane Austen, I have most of her books except for Emma which I could never finish because I couldn't stand Emma!
Well let me tell you this version makes an improvment on the book! You don't hear that too often.
The Paltrow movie is much more superficial and not nearly as satisfying even though I do like all the cast of that version. Ewan MacGregor was wasted in the film I thought!
This version is much better at showing who Emma is and is much more satisfying. The actors are much less exagerated and cartoonish, much more believable.
All in all a satisfying film.
As to the DVD I have had two copies of this film and both seem to have a bizarre glitch where it will speed up for a fraction of a second and it seems odd. I don't think this was a trick of the film. Anyone else have this problem?
Movie Review: Jane Austen's Emma: the Preferred edition
Summary: 5 Stars
I've seen Emma with Gwynneth Paltrow!! Oh, what a pitiful Emma Gwynneth made, she was pathetic! Kate Beckinsale on the other hand is brilliant as Emma and this version of the novel is certainly the best of the two, just as the film Persuasion was a better film than Sense and Sensibility which I liked very much by the way but Persuasion was my favourite pick of the adaptions at the time.
Both 'Knightley' adaptions were wonderful. I think Jeremy Northam and Mark Strong portrayed him wonderfully well and enjoyed both men in this part.
These two adaptions have their own good bits, although I didn't like "Paltrow" as Emma, I enjoyed other actors characterisations in that adaption and I will say it is also worth watching but "Jane Austen's Emma" is much closer to the novel I think and Kate is the better Emma, definitely.
Movie Review: An overshadowed gem
Summary: 5 Stars
Forget if you can, Gwynneth Paltrow's worthy but stiff Emma, which was so marred by the supporting cast. This is a supberb adaptation of Jane Austen's book, convincing in it period detail, and utterly charming. Every character is, somehow, as one would like to imagine them. Kate Beckinsale makes Emma convincing in her follies, and utterly warm and attractive, as she ought to be. There is a particularly brilliant performance from Mark Strong, who makes the moralizing Mr. Knightly smoulder. In supporting roles, Bernard Hepton as Emma's self-absorbed hypochondriac father turns in a finely tuned performance that is never caricature; and, equally, Prunella Scales as Miss Bates maintains great dignity in her comic turn. Beyond the excellent performances, this is lovely to look at. Even if you are not a "Jane-ite", try this.