Emma: a review by Nick Scott

Emma, “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” 1

Emma was the last novel that Jane Austin wrote and it has been made into movies many times, three in the 1990s. I went to see the version starring Gwyneth Paltrow and found it so dull I left early. Not so with this film.

The story centres around the stormy seas of Emma’s relationships with her friends and their attempts to find the perfect man/woman. In this situation Emma plays matchmaker and despite her perfect looks and voice, she is a nosy control-freak. It is this imperfect character of hers that makes the film interesting.

The sets, as they should be, are very attractive, as are the cast, especially Emma who lives out the story among a large group of friends and relatives, notably Bill Nighy as her father (he doesn’t even try to look good- just as well.) As a period-piece drama it works very well, but it is the imperfect parts of Emma herself that make you want to watch the film.

If you can’t stand this type of period drama with its clipped English accents and very 19^th century sets then don’t go but if you can look past these things you will find it an interesting film which is worth the price of a ticket.

1.Austen-Leigh, James Edward (1882). A Memoir of Jane Austen. London: Richard Bentley & Sons. p. 157.

Nick Scott Nick Scott has a B.A from The University of Waikato where he studied film under Sam Edwards. Nick has retained a keen interest in cinema. He studied Te Reo Maori at Te Wananga O Aotearoa part-time for 3 years and then from 2014 to 2016 Nick collaborated in writing “The Traveller’s guide to Maori Place Names”. You can also read Chapter One of Nick’s novel “Temple’s Job’ on ARTbop WORDS.