Emma (2020) Movie Review

My love for Jane Austen and period dramas never fails. Emma is my second favorite Jane Austen novel and I was so excited to hear that a new adaptation of her beloved comedy was coming out this February. I just saw this version on Saturday and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved this movie.
Spoiler warning, of course. 

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Plot:

When watching a rendition of a famous book, I always care that they stay pretty true to the source material. I believe this movie does an excellent job of keeping the main plot while adding some new flare. I do think they did skip too much of the Frank Churchill/Jane Fairfax plotline as they skimmed over their love story and the shocking aspect of their romance. To avoid the movie being eight hours long, of course, some material had to be cut, but they did keep the main points that make it Emma. 

Style:

From cinematography to color, this movie is so visually pleasing. The straight shot scenes made me feel like I was in a different world. The colors of each set, whether it be the costumes or the decorations, made each season feel like it was actually that season. The costumes made me so happy. Emma's pink outside jacket stood out to me, and I want that in my life. The style of everything in this movie makes it a ten.

Characters: 

This cast is just perfect. Anya did a fantastic job as Emma. I did love how they used a mixture of actors for this movie. A good amount of them are totally recognizable, while others not so much. I also loved seeing two actors from Sex Education in a period piece. Adam and Lily in period costumes was something I didn't know I needed.

They took a different direction for certain characters like Mr. Knightley and Mr. Woodhouse. I think this version of Mr. Knightley shows how much he adores Emma from the very beginning as well as his jealousy over Frank Churchill whereas Mr. Woodhouse was different in this version as he wasn't so prudent in other versions. I adore Harriet Smith in this version as she did not annoy me like other versions of her character have. Also having Miranda Hart as Ms. Bates was amazing, and I stan her.  I think this was a perfect cast for this movie. 

Changes/Differences: 

I just want to point out the showing the dressing of both males and females was great. Not a lot of people know how much work it took to dress back then or the help one had. Most think only of the females, but showing Mr. Knightley get dressed was amazing. Also, changing the mood of Emma and Mr. Knightley's love story to start sooner or at least show it advancing was a good change. I love how you see their love for one another start to grow through the movie, wherein other versions, there's little to no build-up. 

Things I just Loved:

The sexual tension between Knightley and Emma was outstanding. During the ball scene, I was amazed at the chemistry between the actors. I freaked out when they finally told each other that they had feelings for one another because it was so funny and awkward at the same time. Also, the sets of this movie, I can't with. The Weston's home was Trenwith from Poldark. Right from the scene where they pull up around the grounds, I knew. I just found it funny how two different period pieces I love used the same setting. Also, the church in the movie was redecorated, but it was the main church in Poldark where many of my beans got married in. 

Overview: 

This movie was hilarious and besides Clueless is my favorite rendition of this classic. The dialogue was so witty and the mannerisms so perfectly set with each character. The sass of Emma was highlighted so well that she embodied the perfect anti-heroine. I recommend this movie to anyone that loves a stunning movie with different aspects to period pieces. I will be seeing this yet again this week, and I cannot wait to see it for a second time.