Gwyneth Paltrow

Jeremy Northam

Toni Collette

Alan Cumming

Ewan McGregor

Greta Scacchi

Sophie Thompson

Juliet Stevenson

Denys Hawthorne

Polly Walker

James Cosmo

Kathleen Byron

Phyllida Law

Edward Woodall

Brian Capron

Karen Westwood

Rebecca Craig

Angela Down

John Franklyn-Robbins

Ruth Jones

Brett Miley

Paul Williamson

Lee Boardman

Jane Austen

Douglas McGrath

Steven Haft

Patrick Cassavetti

Bob Weinstein

Harvey Weinstein

Donna Gigliotti

Ian Wilson

Lesley Walker

Mary Selway

Sarah Trevis

Michael Howells

Joshua Meath-Baker

Totty Whately

Sam Riley

Donna Grey

Chris Munro

Colin Miller

Jean Bourne

Bill Darby

Fran Triefus

Sue Lefton

Richard Broome

Jeremy Hume

Derek Holding

Paul Carr

Robert Farr

David Appleby

Danny Euston

Norman Smith

Rachel Portman

Sara Keene

Giorgio Armani

Kay Georgiou

Sian Grigg

Alison Begg

Russell Channon

Caleb Menges

Davina Nicholson

Andrew Golding

Jason Line

Stephen Scott

Geoff R. Brown

Lionel Selwyn

Jason Swanscott

James Bloom

David Bruce

Mark 'Rocky' Evans

Wayne Leach

Roz Naylor

Ricky Pattenden

Michael O'Connor

Sylvia Wheeler

Kevin Trehy

Teresa Hidalgo

Polly Jefferies

Jane Biro

Rachelle Gryn

Karen Firestone

Barbara Berkery

Emma Buckley

Lucinda Sturgis

Carlo Bulley

Brian Blamey

Ruth Myers

Mike Bleach

Tina Earnshaw

Simon Thompson

Samantha Crouch

Lou Durkin

Magot Forster

Ray Morgan

Dempsey Cook

Philip Shaw

Harry Van Rooij

James Winby

Graham Barford

Stephen Slater

David Meeking

Ray Potter

Luke Jones

Hugo Hedley

Louise Mansfield

Brian Baverstock

Townsley Knott

Gerry Turner

John Fisher

Jim Magill

Terry English

Gerry Floyd

Enyo Mortty

Terry Reece

Vanessa Smiles

David Snell

Peter Hunt

John Hadity

George Sheanshang

Romance

Comedy

Drama

Emma

Miramax

Haft Entertainment

Matchmaker Films

United States of America

English

london, england

based on novel or book

england

etiquette

victorian england

best friend

young woman

courting

19th century

wealth differences

matchmaker

english countryside

meddling friend

Peter McGinn

This is a fine production of the Jane Austen novel, though it is not among my top two favorite adaptations. Not for any serious problems, but rather due to minor decisions that were made in the script. I expected to see more of Emma’s visit to Miss Bates, for example, after she is shamed into repenting her treatment of the silly woman. 

Other than that I enjoyed the movie well enough. The acting and the script were consistently good except for those moments I mentioned, and I would probably be willing to watch it again someday.

Filipe Manuel Neto

**A futile and silly Emma to be taken seriously, but entertaining and has some good moments.**

Jane Austen is one of the great writers in the English language and her work has been fertile ground for adaptations and reinterpretations in theatre, television and cinema. From trash to luxury, there's no shortage of options, and each one stands out for one reason or another. This film was inspired by one of the author's novels about a charismatic and dreamy young woman who takes pleasure in gathering acquaintances and friends, and playing matchmaker. The problem is that, deep down, she herself feels lonely and doesn't really see a man capable of making her sigh, and almost all the dating arrangements she makes also end up with terrible results.

In fact, this is another one of the works where Austen criticizes the society she knows, and where people are measured by their income and land assets, leaving their character and other “secondary” details behind. It was an elitist society, more bourgeois than aristocratic (what defines a person's value is their income, and noble titles end up being a means of financial income and not a sign of honor and nobility), and where love, romance and the opinion of the bride and groom was not much considered when it came to arranging marriage. All this is visible here. Filmed as a romantic comedy of sorts, the big problem with this film is that it all feels a little too vain, superficial and silly to be taken seriously.

Gwyneth Paltrow had, in this film, one of her first roles of great notoriety, and we can say that, despite the time that has passed and the actress is still active, it is still one of the best films she has made. Paltrow knows how to be naive and well-meaning without seeming too silly for it, and she manages to deftly balance her character's attitudes in the fine interval between the gentle silliness and the excessive pampering of who she grew up with everything she wanted. Even better, Jeremy Northam does an extraordinary job and the same can be said for Toni Collete and Alan Cumming. Denys Hawthorne also does what she can, but like many of the more minor actors, she doesn't have as good material as the others.

On a technical level, the film stands out for the quality of its cinematography, sets and costumes. The production went to great lengths to recreate the era and environments realistically, believably, and intelligently. However, it is the only thing. The dialogues could frankly be better, there are virtually no notable effects (but the ones that were used work very well) and the music and soundtrack are totally worthy of oblivion.

CinemaSerf

Hmmm. I'm not really an huge Jane Austen fan - and "Emma" is one of her least engaging stories, I find. Gwyneth Paltrow takes on the mantle of the title character, a rather thoughtless young woman who spends way too much time interfering in the lives of others - and not always with the best of intentions - frequently leaving a trail of emotional mayhem in her wake. It is only Jeremy Northam ("Mr. Knightley)" who dares to call a spade a spade with her, and to encourage her to mend her meddling ways, and to take up the opportunity of the love that is staring her in the face - before it is too late. Paltrow is fine as the adaptation is less wordy than in the original tome: Northam has a charm and sense of fairness that endears him to the audience (though, frankly, what he sees in "Emma" - aside from physical beauty - is anyone's guess) and there are a couple of nice supporting efforts from Alan Cummings, Juliet Stevenson and a really rather delightful performance from the put-upon "Mrs. Bates" (Phyllida Law). Rachel Portman provides a melodic and gentle score to accompany this very good looking drama, but it was all just a bit too Merchant Ivory for me, without the charm or the finesse of these colourful iterations.

Emma | Official Trailer (HD) - Gwyneth Paltrow, Alan Cumming, Jeremy Northam | MIRAMAX

Emma( 1996)

Cupid is armed and dangerous!

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A review by Peter McGinn

Written by Peter McGinn on Thu Nov 04 2021

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