A director with an eye for the image
4/5
Spoilers
"Bah!" said I, like some Dickensian anti-hero, upon seeing the Oscar nominations come through. "Bah! Drat! And double-drat!" I concluded, feeling thwarted like poor old Dick Dastardly. Why such frightful language, you ask? The curse of Emma., obviously. I take you back to the halcyon days before the Covid-19 pandemic had spread its loathsome pall over the world. Each week, I would trot along to the cinema with my father and sister, occasionally accompanied by Mrs. C. Sometimes we would see one film, often more.
February 2020 saw another gruelling round of 'Oscar Catch-up', the jolly game of watching any Oscar nominated film one had yet to see in the six weeks between nominations and awards. Following such hard work, we deserved a break, back down to one film a week until the blockbusters of April and May drew us back to the Sutton Coldfield Empire with renewed vigour.
"We are inclined to catch a performance of Emma. this week, as an extra to our usual fair," my father announced, probably, "would you care to join us?"
"Dearest Papa," I replied, most likely with such eloquence, "I fear I cannot make it. But I am certain that Mrs. C. and I would endeavour to catch a showing at a future week."
Oh, what naïve fools we were. There were to be no more cinema trips, no more chances. And thus Emma. became a lost opportunity. "Ah well," I thought to myself, "it was not to be." Yet here I was, 12 months later, finding it very well was to be and, had I managed to catch it in February 2020, that would be one less of these Oscar nominated films to be worrying about during this year's tiresome mad dash. How my father must have chortled to himself.
Winding narrative over, I note with a sigh of relief, my first question had to be "Was it worth the wait?" To a fair degree, yes, yes it was. Emma. was a delightful film and an excellent debut from its director Autumn de Wilde. The story, not one I was familiar with, seems to be a fairly predictable Austen affair - the matching up of youthful gentry, hamstrung by some mix-ups and disagreements, and the inevitable shocking hook-up across class boundaries of two side-characters. Scandalous.
There were three primary strengths to this telling, though, that made it stand a good head above most period dramas. The first was its use of comedy. Especially notable in the first and second acts, there was a sense of British irreverence to the proceedings. Bill Nighy provided some asides that almost crossed into fourth wall breaking. Angus Imrie, an excellent young actor, added some silent servant work which made me smile. It was also quite fun seeing Josh O'Connor moving away from bumbling Prince Charles to comically creepy and over-the-top Mr. Elton. And there was a good amount of wit from across the cast. Although never reaching the same heights, the humour felt reminiscent of Armando Iannucci's recent David Copperfield.
The second big strength is related to the third, but I shall mention them separately. The costumes and scenery were beautiful to look at. Every aspect of the setting had been thought through with a sense of vibrancy. Initially, I felt the theme was pastel based (see the pastel green church interior as an example) but it became more apparent that block colours seemed the intention. Bright, bold, block colours; maids in red gowns, the pink dressing room, even Nighy's patterned dressing gowns typically remained one colour (gold). All-in-all, such splashes of colour enlivened the film and brought a freshness to another retelling of a 200 year old rom-com.
I think the final strength, and possibly the film's biggest asset, was the cinematography and the use of camera work. The director's style was imbued in every shot. Have a quick google of de Wilde's photography and you will see a remarkable resemblance. Bright colours and busy patterns. Most notable was the use of symmetry in a lot of the shots - everything was finely balanced. Perhaps a comment on the nature of balance and class in Emma's matchmaking? Perhaps just an attractive choice for a beautiful film.
The third act ran a little dry on humour and seemed to fall back into the more mundane tropes of period dramas, but the colours and visual considerations remained to hold one's attention. The music was quirky and leant into clichés to add to the humour, whilst also revelling in British folk music and exciting, even enjoyable, performances of Classical period music. Whoever thought Haydn would be so fun?
An excellent debut from de Wilde - I do hope more films are forthcoming!
Emma.
Director: Autumn de Wilde
Screenplay: Eleanor Catton, based on Jane Austen's Emma
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Jos O'Connor, Bill Nighy
Score: Isobel Waller-Bridge & David Schweitzer
Currently available to buy on Amazon Prime
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