Premise: Sort of like Clueless, but Victorian era.
I was really looking forward to seeing this movie in theaters. Sadly, the week it was set to expand to my hometown was the week the theaters were shut down for COVID. I'm not one for renting movies since I already pay too much on assorting streaming services, so I had to wait a few months until it became available (on HBO Max, it turns out). That might've been for the best though. In that time, The Queen's Gambit, also starring Anya Taylor Joy, came out. I actually watched that right away, but it took a few weeks for it to really catch on with the zeitgeist. Instead of feeling left out though, because I already watched it, I get this other great Anya Taylor Joy project to enjoy instead. It's a win-win.
I've been waiting to see her blow up for a while. She was excellent in The Witch in 2016. She's a somewhat forgotten but valuable part to M. Night Shyamalan’s two Unbreakable sequels. I really love her in the twisted Thoroughbreds. And I almost forgot she's in the overlooked horror gem Marrowbone. Even ignoring The New Mutants, which I have yet to see, it's hard to start off a career much stronger than she has, and her 2020 has moved her into star territory. Emma really works for her.
I feel there's two ways to approach Jane Austen or Jane Austen-adjacent film adaptations these days. You can either go with overcast and damp realism like Wuthering Heights or Lady Macbeth. Or, you play up the comedy and quirk like Love & Friendship, The Favourite, or Emma*. I prefer the latter approach, even though they do begin to get indistinguishable after too many. I'd call this adaptation of Emma more clever than laugh out loud funny.
*OK, yes. There is a third, classically romantic lane like Far From the Maddening Crowd, but I'm trying to stay light on my research here.
Anya Taylor Joy has a buttoned-down rebellious quality that works perfectly for this. Bill Nighy acts like he was called in the night before and given the direction "just be yourself", which is exactly what the role calls for. I've never seen Mia Goth this...normal, before. She has a very distinct look that I'm used to seeing in things like Suspiria, A Cure For Wellness, or Nymphomaniac. It was really nice to see how well she fit into the Tai role. The rest of the cast...features a bunch of vaguely familiar British actors who I mostly forget moments after I see them. Like, you could tell me I've seen Johnny Flynn in stuff before, but you better come with evidence. It's was nice to see them pull Connor Swindells and Tanya Reynolds from Sex Education in for this. It definitely ramps up my curiosity for when Emma Mackey starts showing up in everything.
My last comment on Mia Goth a moment ago does get to a core "problem" I run into with any adaptation of Emma. I love and know Clueless too much. Even though I know it's the other way around, I spent all of this movie looking for the equivalent Clueless scene, and even though I enjoyed this movie, I really just want to watch Clueless again now. This is not Emma's fault at all. I just want to make it clear that the Clueless hurdle is a significant one and one that will always get in the way for this. I can't turn off my brain from thinking, "Eliza Donovan was much better in the 90s equivalent of this role".
With that understanding, I can't find much bad to say about the movie. The cast really is great. I imagine it's one of those movies that, in ten years, I'll be amazed to realize so many people were in it (kind of like Clueless, actually. Or Can't Hardly Wait*). This is an impressive feature directorial debut for Autumn de Wilde, who has been mostly a music video director until now. The costuming and hairstyling are extreme in a good way. If a movie isn't aiming for hyper-realism, then I want to see the most ornate version of everything. Every costume should look straight out of the box, with colors that pop. I should assume the hair required Anya Taylor Joy to wake up at 3:30 that morning. I need escapism, and that's what this delivers.
*Seriously, check out all the names hiding in that one.
Verdict: Strongly Recommend
No comments:
Post a Comment