Jonah Abbott
There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.
Deanna
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
Lela
The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.
jotix100
"Emma" one of the most beloved novels by Jane Austen, is perhaps a bit different from the others in that the heroine is not as much interested in the society around her, as much as her desire to make people happy. The 1996 television adaptation of the Austen novel came at about the same time as the big screen production showcasing Gwyneth Paltrow in the title role.In this version, Emma is perhaps more earthy than the one in the film. She is warmer, perhaps more down to earth. After successfully being instrumental in getting her former nanny married to Mr. Weston, she destines the unpretentious Harriet Smith to be interested in Mr. Elton, the parson, not realizing it was not meant to be. Emma is taken aback with the revelation of the engagement of Jane Fairfax to Frank Churchill, something she did not count on because she was under the impression he cared for her. Her disappointment turns out to be what propels Mr. Knightly in coming around to declare his love for her, something that she realized was all she ever wanted for her own happiness.Director Diarmuid Lawrence does justice to Andrew Davies' screen adaptation. It is a more realistic approach. Mr. Lawrence was blessed with a strong cast and an inspired performance by Kate Beckinsale, as Emma. The excellent Mark Strong as Knightley is an asset for this production. Others that excel in the cast are Samantha Morton, whose Harriet is perfect. Olivia Williams as Jane Fairfax. Handsome Raymond Coulthard appears as Frank Churchill. In supporting roles, Bernard Hepton, James Hazeldine, Prunella Scales, Samantha Bond, and Dominic Rowan, contribute to make this a memorable "Emma".
hedieh_ghb
I loved this movie very much and really enjoyed every minute of it.Kate Bekinsale is exactly how I imagined Emma while reading the book.First I wasn't really eager to watch this version since Paltrow's version was somehow the known one but after watching both movies I really preferred this one.Gwyneth Paltrow could never pull out the British accent no matter how hard she tried,and there was this falseness all along the movie.Kate Bekinsale is absolutely marvelous in this movie,and she acts so naturally and her manners are so beautiful.Mark strong is a really good Mr. Knightly as well.His chemistry with Emma is really believable.I like him more than Jeremy Bentham although everybody seem to think the contrary.All the cast is well chosen specially Hariet Smith and Mr. Churchil.My favorite part is the ball at the crown Inn,I love the dances.I have watched this movie several times and I'm sure I'll continue to watch it whenever I'm in the mood for a classical romantic movie. I recommend it to every Austin's fans and romantic movie lovers in general!
mjarvis0
The minute I started watching this I realised that I was watching a quality production so I was not surprised to find that the screenplay was written by Andrew Davis and was produced by Sue Birtwhistle both of these brought us the excellent 1995 production of Pride and Prejudice! So my only gripe here is that Emma did not run to 3 or 4 or maybe even six episodes like Pride and Prejudice. The acting was superb with I think Prunella scales excellent as Miss Bates but I loved Kate Beckinsale and Mark Strong just as much. The language is a delight to listen to, can you imagine in this day and age having a right go at someone without actually uttering a swear word? Samantha Morton was excellent as Miss Smith in fact the casting was spot on much as it was with Pride and Prejudice. I liked it so much that I watched it twice in two days!! So once again thank you BBC for another quality piece of television. I have seen the Paltrow version and it is okay but I do think the BBC version is far superior. An excellent production that I am very happy to own on DVD!!!
buzzerbill
I confess--Emma, in my opinion, is the single greatest novel ever written. It is as close to perfection as any mortal creation can be. Jane Austen reaches the pinnacle of her art here.Unfortunately, this is at best a palimpsest.Comparison to the Gwyneth Paltrow version is inevitable--that version is far more faithful to the witty spirit of the book and far more enjoyable to watch.There are some good elements here--Kate Berkinsale (having previously played Flora Poste in Cold Comfort Farm, clearly Emma's smarter spiritual twin) is a wonderful Emma. Raymond Coulthard makes an appropriately decorative Frank Churchill. The production is handsome, but the interiors are far too dark.However, there are several major problems. The first is Mark Strong--first of all, he doesn't look right for Mr. Knightley. This is perhaps because he plays the role like a censorious Victorian parson. It's badly out of tune.The second problem is one of length. Simply put, the film is much too short--to get the right kind of feel, it would need to be twice as long.Finally, and most significantly, there is the quality of the adaptation. Austen is an adapter's dream--all the dialogue is there already. It only needs to be pruned down and arranged properly. Andrew Davies seems to think otherwise. First, this is a rather gloomy film, and the last thing Emma should be is gloomy. More significantly, Davies has seen fit to rewrite the ending as some sort of bucolic feast. What planet, or minor work of Thomas Hardy, is this come from? It is utterly out of the style and spirit of the novel. And I believe that it is hugely presumptuous to try to make improvements upon--perfection.Watch the Paltrow version, or watch Kate in Cold Comfort Farm.
