Movie #2107 "Emma" 2020 (HBO/Amazon Prime) --- I first must say I am a huge Jane Austen fan, picking her books up in high school. My favorite is "Pride and Prejudice," and I have really not thoroughly enjoyed most film renditions of any of her books. This one tries to get across the humor, but it is so uneven! Bill Nighy is in one film where he campily tries to get across the addle-pated father to Emma, always worried about the cooling system in the old house. Then there's Mr. Knightly, who is playing some angst ridden lad who falls for this selfish (not worthy of him in this film) young Dolly Levi who tries to mettle in everyone's love life. The guy they cast here looked constipated most of the time (sorry, if I insulted anyone, but if you saw him, I think you'd agree --- he looks in pain, anyway --- I think he finally smiled at the end --- I was thinking maybe the costume didn't fit him properly? he is so modern looking, it is laughable) and then there's Emma herself, played by "Queen's Gambit" herself --- and played it the same way? At least to my way of thinking. It left me with...why would anyone fall in love with such a cold hearted/manipulative person as this? Oh, there is just a little bit of a crack in her demeanor in the end of the film toward poor Harriet (after she nearly destroys the poor waif). but that's it? Then, back to Mr. Elton, who, I thought, stole the movie --- well, him and Bill Nighy --- I wanted to see that movie --- Josh O'Connor, the actor I enjoyed so much as Larry (the Hemingway writer) in the "Durrells" (watch that! so much better than this film) and now I need to watch as Prince Charles in "The Crown, puts so much into the part of Mr. Elton, I was on the floor laughing. That is the Jane Austen I know and love from her books! So the big complaint here is with the two leads (isn't it always? #1 in a Hallmark film!) and the unevenness of the film. Nighy and O'connor do their level best to get across Austen here --- the other actors in the film need to work up to their level. Better Directing would help, too! 3 out of 5.
"EMMA" 2020 Pg- rating 2 hours and 4 mins
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