REVIEW: Emma. Captivating Mr. Knightley

Emma.

Autumn. Winter. Spring. Summer.

Director Autumn de Wilde offers the latest iteration of Jane Austen's beloved novel, "Emma," with deliberate and precise punctuation. Everything from the film's title to the four seasonal chapters that divide the film - and underscore its varying themes of love - is clearly, neatly, thoughtfully presented, even if Emma Woodhouse's match-making efforts are sometimes a bit less tidy.

Surrounding (relative) newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy in the title role are veteran Brits Bill Nighy (Mr. Woodhouse), Gemma Whelan (Mrs. Weston), Miranda Hart (Miss Bates) and Rupert Graves (Mr. Weston). An equally impressive corps of younger (though lesser known, at least in the United States) actors take on the numerous lovers Emma tries to couple. Of these, the most critical casting choice besides Emma has to be the role of George Knightley, Emma's older, detached, and most ardent suitor. More on that in a bit.

Past film versions of "Emma" have often relied as much on star power as on bringing Austen's pointed, if light-hearted notions about social class, courtship and marriage to the screen, with the most well-known predecessor likely Douglas McGrath's 1996 version starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Toni Collette, Ewan McGregor and Alan Cumming. Even Amy Heckerling's modernization, "Clueless," made the previous year, heralded a teen cast led by then-it girl Alicia Silverstone. Director de Wilde's latest iteration focuses less on star/celebrities and more on actor-singer/songwriters who create more personal and intimate relationships with their characters through music. He even frames key scenes with vibrant choral versions of classic English hymns.

So what, if anything, does this "Emma" add to the tale of an intelligent (if spoiled), highly-spirited (but somewhat undisciplined) young woman who has vowed never to marry, but spends much of her time trying to manipulate the love lives of others? Having seen most of the other interpretations of this novel, I'd say two things: humanity and authenticity. Both permeate every facet of the film, from the acting ensemble to the scenery to the fabulous costumes (Taylor-Joy's wardrobe is both befitting of her social class and of her delicately masked, fragile beauty).

Unlike other versions that sometimes try too hard to be witty, de Wilde's "Emma" uses less direct, more subtle dialogue - or lack thereof - instead, capturing the nuance of early 19th century sexual flirtation with a off-hand glance, a turn of the head, a sly smile. Bill Nighy probably has less than 100 words of dialogue in the role of Emma's widowed father, Mr. Woodhouse, but he maximizes every syllable and non-verbal gesture, underscoring his amusement at Emma's attempted match-making adventures, then later emanating fatherly compassion when her romantic maneuvering goes horribly awry. The actors here demonstrate a familiarity with their characters that is less forced and more appropriate for the social and cultural mores of the day. When Emma's friend Harriet Smith (Mia Goth) runs into the man whose marriage proposal she reluctantly rejected (at Emma's insistence), her awkward embarrassment - and his sad longing - intersect in a tentative pas de deux fitting of the daughter of a tradesman and an English farmer (though not a gentleman).

Arguably, the most important coupling in "Emma" involves the title character and the slightly older (by 16 years in the novel) George Knightley, Emma's neighbor and brother-in-law to her older sister Isabella. I must admit that, when I first saw the trailer for the movie, I thought the actor playing Mr. Knightley (Johnny Flynn) was too blonde and too pretty for the role. Thankfully, I was wrong. In truth - though Anya Taylor-Joy is physically and temperamentally "perfect" as Emma, it is Johnny Flynn who really makes this film work. An actor-singer/songwriter (and lead singer of his band The Sussex Wit), Flynn plays Emma's harshest, but most devoted, critic to perfection.

Often hiding his expressions behind the high collared shirts he so handsomely wears, Flynn gives away very little about his admiration for Emma, until time and circumstance push him to admit his long-smoldering affection for her. It is because of his direct, sometimes unflattering comments about her behavior: scolding her for being bright, but intellectually lazy (re: she doesn't like to read books), and cleverly needling her when rival Jane Faifax (Amber Anderson) demonstrates far more musical ability than Emma - that make his final declaration so much more satisfying and genuine (given his own status as a gentleman landowner).

In addition what could be considered a star-turn for an actor (he is currently starring in the title role in "Stardust," a soon-to-be-released biopic of glam-rocker David Bowie), Flynn picks up the violin and plays (and sings) a lively duet - "Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes" - with fellow singer-actor Anderson. Finally, Flynn wrote an original song for the film, "Queen Bee," which he sings over the closing credits. I'm calling an early Oscar nomination for Flynn and Best Original Song. It/he is that good.

Overall, Director de Wilde has managed to remove the sometimes stiff and overly-mannered depictions of Austen's novels by relying less on clever one-liners and more on relationship-building among the actors. The result is a far more human Emma, making even her most egregious erotic bunglings an extension of her station and status in society. He captures all the exquisite beauty of Austen's fictitious countryside and elevates its pastoral elegance with classical music and timely hymns (all sung acapella, creating a sense of suspended time and magic). When a contrite Emma takes a humble offering of apology to jilted farmer Robert Martin, she is a picture of exquisite humility: a privileged, smug busybody forced to admit she'd make a horrible match-making mistake, all set against the backdrop of an English barnyard.

If there is one criticism of this film, it is a small one. Like the now (in)famous "Pride and Prejudice" (1995) which had Mr. Darcy (Colin Firth) removing his shirt and going for a swim, this version of "Emma" had a similar faux pas with Mr. Knightley (I won't reveal the scene here, but you can figure it out if you see the film). It's a minor disappointment in an otherwise commendable, if not totally modern interpretation of a beloved tale.

Coming soon: "The Personal History of David Copperfield" - a lively version of the Dickens' classic starring (among others) Dev Patel; "In the Heights" - the film version of Lin Manuel-Miranda's first big Broadway hit.