Review of Emma. (2020) by Jordanlayton — 28 Apr 2020

Emma. is a sweet, slow-starting period piece about young love that grows on you as you watch it.

Although allowing oneself to become invested in this film feels a bit like homework at the start, it is well worth it. The language of the film -- in terms of dialogue, camera movements, and audio cues --takes a few scenes to learn. Once you do, the power of subtlety in the the technical fields of film making is on full display. Except for in walking scenes, the camera is nearly entirely still. This amplifies the slightest push in/pull out of the camera 100% and drives home the emotion being portrayed in that tiny moment in a real way. The same can be said of audio cues in the film, but not the score overall. I enjoyed the score when it was applied purely for transitional scenes, but otherwise it didn't stand out to me when compared to other period pieces like The Favourite. And this film is definitely going for the same vibe as The Favourite, even if it is a bit more mild in it's humor. Regarding story, I haven't read the original Jane Austen text, but this story easily could have came off as a YA teen drama romance. It didn't to me. I think that's partially due to the elevated dialogue, partially due to the film making techniques, and mostly due to the performances. A+ to Anna Taylor-Joy, Mia Goth, and Johnny Flynn. I'd only head of the former before seeing this but I'll be looking out for them all in the future. Emma. has a lot of good going for it. I do think the humor was a bit too subtle at times and 1 or 2 subplots could have been trimmed out to help the pacing. It's on VOD right now. Can't say I'd recommend paying the asking price for it unless you really love period pieces.