Trust & Obey

This may come as a surprise to you guys, but I’m a huge Jane Austen fan (that was sacrasm). Every once in a while I get the urge to watch or read something Jane Austen. Watch if I don’t have the time to read a ten plus hour book, read if I do! Well, this time last year, we in the U.S., were in quarantine and one thing that brought me, my mom, and sister joy was the new movie “Emma.”. This movie adaptation of Emma from Autumn De Wilde was literally incredible! I have seen it probably four or five times and I still like it! After watching the movie, I sat down to read the book, which I liked just as much as the movie.

If you don’t know a lot about this story, it centers on a clever, beautiful woman named Emma. She finds her life mundane, so she starts matchmaking with her close friends. This causes drama, intrigue, and confusion.

Compared to the book, this adaptation is remarkably similar. There are a few add ins to make the movie a bit more dramatic (like a nosebleed), but I didn’t feel it was substantial or ruined the story. The one thing I did not appreciate was that in the beginning, apparently Mr. Knightley is getting dressed and it’s inappropriate (I don’t know specifics because I didn’t watch that part). I thought that was rather unnecessary. Other than that, director De Wilde crushed it with bright, flamboyant colors and gorgeous outfits. Emma is insanely rich so it makes sense to have her dressed in brilliant outfits. De Wilde displays quite the artistic touch with this film. Other Austen adaptations haven’t been as beautiful. They usually let the story do all the talking, but this movie combined both visuals and storytelling to bring about a breathtaking film.

I honestly have zero complaints for “Emma.”, it’s clever, beautiful, and the scenery is rich (much like the protagonist). I never was bored and enjoyed seeing the characters fleshed out and created with each one’s own quirkiness. If you like anything set in the eighteen hundreds or enjoy a good classic story, this movie is absolutely for you.

Do you have a favorite Jane Austen film? Let me know in the comments!