EMMA
A film review by Renee Chow
Copyright 1997 Flying Inkpot
Directed by: Douglas McGrath Written by: Douglas McGrath (novel by Jane Austen) Cast: Gwyneth Paltrow (Emma Woodhouse), Toni Collette (Harriet Smith), Alan Cumming (Rev. Elton), Jeremy Northam (Mr. Knightley), Ewan McGregor (Frank Churchill), Greta Scacchi (Mrs. Weston), Juliet Stevenson (Mrs. Elton), Polly Walker (II) (Jane Fairfax), Sophie Thompson (Miss Bates) Produced by : Haft Entertainment / Matchmaker Films / Miramax Films Rating : *** Run Time: Approx. 120 Minutes
"Clueless" Emma is Back With A Motley Cast of Fallible Characters One Cannot Help But Like
In EMMA, yet another romantic comedy based on Jane Austen's satiric novel, we are transported back to nineteenth-century provincial England. however, we are never once allowed to delude ourselves into thinking that we escape Austen's parodic pen, for self-delusion, gossip and social inadaptablity continue to be relevant to our modern-day sensibilities. No wonder Jane Austen is "Hollywood's Hottest Writer."
Austen's opening lines of her novel of the same name,
Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich with a comfortable home and
happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of
existence ...
could well be a description of actres Gwyneth Paltrow, who portrays the delinquent Emma in the film, and this gives the role an added subtext. Hailed as one of the most beguiling and talented actresses of her generation, and continuing to lead a charmed life with Brad Pitt, she fits perfectly into the role of the self-satisfied and presumptuous Emma. As she weaves her match-making web and speaks her wry epigrams, the smile she brandishes is often a shade too pleased with itself, capturing the essence of a character whose comic flaws are self-delusion and a desire to play God. Paltrow's combination of golden beauty, grace and intelligence makes her quite literally shine in this role. Unfortunately, delightful as her performance may be, her limited range of expressions is unlikely to garner her any Oscars.
The object of Emma's blundering excursions is Harriet Smith, played by Toni Collette, who played the lead role in MURIEL'S WEDDING. Collette scarely looks the part of a naive seventeen-year-old, but her portrayal convincingly captures Harriet's insecurity, self-doubt and desire for approval. So influenced is she by Emma's opinions of her grandeur, her marital sights rise from local farmer Robert Martin, a genteel farmer to Mr Elton the parish priest, to Mr Knightley, an established member of the gentry. The unweaving of Harriet's matrimonial web brings scene after scene of humourous insight into human nature, and of the difficulty of finding one's perfect match.
Emma herself is caught between the charming Frank Churchill (Ewan McGregor) and Mr Knightley (Jeremy Northam), who is her special friend, confidaante, and the gentleman who exudes a wisdom, understanding and sensuality that Emma is blind to. The turning point in Emma's path to self-discovery is perhaps the picnic scene where she mocks the endlessly chattering but kind-hearted spinster, Miss Bates.
The latter is portrayed sympathetically by Sophie Thompson (sister to the famed Emma), who almost steals the show each time she appears, managing to variously convey insecurity and pain through her comic monologues. She forms part of an impressive cast of supporting actors, which also includes Alan Cumming and Juliet Stevenson, who portray the odiously pompous Eltons with a taunting gaiety that *dares* the viewer to dislike them. As caricatures of snobbery, they are irrepressibly funny.
This lively and entertaining adaptation marks the commendable directorial debut of America writer Douglas McGrath, who also wrote the screenplay. However, when compared with Amy Heckerling's script for CLUELESS, which saw a radical change to a Beverly Hills setting and the invention of a MTV vocabulary, this adaptation of "Emma" becomes too safe, predicatable, and audience-friendly. It is a "sunny garden party," where you catch occasional glimpses of yourself that amuse, but do not disturb. Ultimately, it is satire without bite, wit without derision, critique without affront, and adaptation without imagination.
The Flying Inkpot Rating System: * Wait for the TV2 broadcast. ** A little creaky, but still better than staying at home with Gotcha! *** Pretty good, bring a friend. **** Amazing, potent stuff. ***** Perfection. See it twice.
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews