Autumn De Wilde takes merit in this sublime retelling of this classic novel Emma, by Jane Austin. Staring Ana Taylor Joy, Bill Nighy, and making herself known to the screen as light and as ever charming Miranda Hart.
This tale centres around Queen Bee and socialite Emma, who graces our screen so sweetly, learns that time growing up has come to past, and throughout her sleepy town, she may have been staring at a love gone by all along. This classic tale comes to life on our screens through De Wilde’s delicious and idyllic choices for colour. But, does it hold its own in a world of remakes?
De Wilde works her magic on this classic period drama. Offering a subtle contemporary stamp on this classic tale. With the help of Alexandra Byrne’s impeccable costumes, this regent look that’s often displayed in other classic tales has been revamped and reworked before our very eyes giving the film a look for more modern audiences in 2020.
Like those seen in Sense and Sensibility, this adaption is unlike another. It strives to make a much more breathable character, lending a voice to the generation that lives now, the influencers, of the world. With her wickedly melting smirk, Emma moves through the small town of Highbury as light as a feather, dispensing pearls of wisdom left, right and centre.
Often or not, this film does its best to remind us about the difficulties of coming of age. Much like its contemporary counterpart, Clueless, it works to prolong such a nostalgic feeling, we tend to forget.
An Emma for Modern Cinemagoers
The question that is often asked with these remakes, is did we really need it? With all, it’s splendour and plenty of nice sights (which can be visited for those eager fans). This film does some things right, that past rendition may not have, with adapting a woman’s perspective. We see the male lead, disrobe, with the camera not shying away, it plays with the idea of the male becoming the object of the gaze rather than the female.
This feels to be a driving force for De Wilde but only in a shy way, as to not rock the boat of period dramas. That being said, when all convention is left behind when Ana Taylor-Joy and Knightley loosen from their given statures and fall into a roar of laughs can we see a true love blossoming on screen. However, it’s counterpart Clueless has yet to be topped.
What works well in this period drama is the soft caress of hands that fall side by side, taking the audience straight back to a much more rigid time. Emma offers a much less softened character that has come to pass with previous adaptations featuring the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow.
Those incarnations have often made her appear much more delicate, but her Taylor-Joy gives us a much sterner portrayal with all her sharper edges on display.
Verdict
For all its glorious costumes De Wilde’s film can often depend too heavily on the quips and longing stares between two characters, but she still manages to stamp her own identity onto the feature which helps bring the character into the 21st century.
