Reenergizing "Emma."

Autumn de Wilde has long been a beloved name in music videos, design, and photography. So it's no wonder that her feature film debut looks drop dead gorgeous. It's the latest version of Jane Austen's "Emma," and Austen has never looked quite this lovely, with an emphasis on colorful fashion, ornate set design, and eye-catching architecture. Austen's language remains unchanged, and period details are kept largely intact, but there's no denying that there's a modern attitude to the new "Emma.," which comes on the heels of Greta Gerwig's similarly vibrant "Little Women."

Our heroine Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy) is a Regency era, unmarried young woman who has a terrible habit of meddling with other people's lives. She befriends a girl named Harriet (Mia Goth) of unknown parentage, and hopes to match her up with the vicar, Mr. Elton (Josh O'Connor). Emma is herself interested in the mysterious Frank Weston (Callum Turner), who seems more interested in Emma's rival Jane Fairfax (Amber Anderson). Emma's father (Bill Nighy) lets her do as she likes, but family friend George Knigtley (Johnny Flynn) strongly disapproves of Emma's irresponsible ways.

Of the previous film adaptations of "Emma," I've seen both the Gwyneth Paltrow version and, of course, Amy Heckerling's "Clueless." This one is my favorite, for this particular set of performances and for de Wilde's aesthetic choices. Anya Taylor-Joy's Emma isn't as likeable as her predecessors, her faults more evident and her prejudices put in sharper relief. However, this makes her a better comic figure, and her eventual redemption feels more substantial. I like that in spite of all their splendid trappings, the characters are all portrayed as a little silly and risible. Emma's father is a hypochondriac and neurotic who spends a lot of time combating drafts. Neighbor Miss Bates (Miranda Hart) isn't just a bore, but an emphatic oversharer of tedious gossip. Emma herself is no exception, often the perfect portrait of oblivious privilege.

At the same time, Emma remains an irresistible heroine, a girl with the best of intentions who wants to use her position for the benefit of her friends. She bungles her way through romantic misunderstandings with all the horrified awkwardness of any teenage girl, and there's something so endearing about how she manages to magnify every emotional response - she's genuinely crushed when she realizes that she's hurt other people's feelings. Anya Taylor-Joy channels so much sincerity in her performance that she keeps Emma sympathetic even when she's at her most petty, and her rehabilitation is very satisfying to see play out. A lot of credit should also go to Mia Goth and Johnny Flynn as her most frequent scene partners - Goth in particular is a great comic foil, and it's nice to see her in such a significant role.

But while the actors are fun, the bonnets are to die for. The wardrobe and hair folks achieve some feats of costuming and coiffure that are just magnificent. It's total eye candy for anyone who enjoys a little pastel period spectacle. And these elements are all leaned on heavily for characterization too - witness the unbearable Mrs. Elton (Tanya Reynolds) in her brusque orange dress, or Miss Bates in all those giant lace neck ruffs. You can actually get a good bead on where Emma is emotionally throughout the film by looking at the state of her angelic blonde ringlets.

The architecture and the landscapes are also mighty impressive, and I have to say that it's nice to have a film where it makes sense why everyone keeps talking about each other's houses and estates. These people have portrait galleries! Cloister halls! Lawns for miles! I couldn't keep my eyes off the furniture and the statuary. Even the church looks colorful and glamorous. So if one has no interest in the story of "Emma," I suspect that the style is enough to keep the attention of any viewer all by itself.

In short, I can't believe this is Autumn de Wilde's first go as a feature director. She absolutely must come back and give us her versions of everything else in the Austen canon, and then whatever the hell else she wants. Because, good grief, she's too good at this not to keep directing more films.
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