I haven't read Emma, so my perspective was fresh coming in, knowing absolutely nothing about the story. The plot felt so trite and obvious that I think I would've liked it more if I had read the book so I could at least appreciate how it works off of the source material. It isn't a bad film - the set design, costumes, and score are all very good, and Anya Taylor-Joy is as solid as you'd expect. Its biggest problem is that even without knowing the book, every character seemed to fit neatly into a precisely drawn character arc, with no surprises or innovations along the way. Emma could be an interesting imperfect protagonist, but everyone simply treats her as though she's perfect and casts no real judgement. Every side character has a clear purpose and doesn't get involved in the story beyond that singular mission. The romance resolution was obvious from literally the first time we meet the pair, and while both performances are good enough to keep it from feeling stale, it still doesn't garner much emotional reaction. By the second half of the film, it was obvious what each character was here to do and where the plot was headed and it simply felt rote. There are some decent ideas here which I'm sure are considered in more depth in the book, particularly Emma's psychology in wanting to be liked and admired by others while not being certain of what she really wanted for herself. It feels like a solid period drama, but if you're looking for a great recent classic adaptation of a period drama, Little Women has a similar feeling but is better in every way. That isn't necessarily a fair bar to hold Emma up to, anyways; this is a fine film, but it's too tidy and uncreative for its own good.
Review of Emma.
