Emma. is the latest film adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic 1815 novel of the same name. As the film opens, we are told that “Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy), handsome, clever, and rich, had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.” Emma lives with her widower father (Bill Nighy) in Hartfield, in the small town of Highbury. Today Emma’s longtime governess and primary mother figure, Miss Taylor (Gemma Whelan), is getting married to Mr Weston (Rupert Graves), and will be moving out of the family home.

Emma often says that she will never get married herself, which is of great relief to her father Henry, who still hasn’t gotten over the fact that eldest daughter Isabella moved out 7 years earlier. However, even if marriage isn’t part of her own future, Emma does take credit for being a successful matchmaker for several others. She enjoys meddling in other people’s lives, oblivious to and unconcerned with the fallout. Emma’s latest project is Miss Harriet Smith (Mia Goth), an unsophisticated young woman of unknown lineage who is a parlour boarder at a nearby school. Harriet is smitten with farmer Robert Martin (Connor Swindells), but Emma thinks she should have her sights set higher, and so she manipulates Harriet into pursuing local vicar Philip Elton (Josh O’Connor) instead, and of course, things don’t go very well.

Living nearby to the Woodhouse’s is family friend—and Emma’s brother-in-law—George Knightley (Johnny Flynn). George is the only person willing to call Emma out on her selfish antics. He disapproves of Emma’s matchmaking efforts, and warns her of the ill effects. While they bicker like siblings, it is pretty clear to the viewer that Mr Knightley has feelings for Emma. And he seems especially jealous whenever Emma mentions the name of the mysterious Frank Churchhill (Callum Turner), Mr Weston’s son. While no one has seen Frank—he failed to show up for his father’s wedding—he is rumored to be quite the handsome young man, and set to become the heir to a title and fortune from his ailing aunt.

It’s a wonder why Emma appears to be so revered in town as she is not the nicest person. One example of this is how she constantly tries to avoid spinster Miss Bates (Miranda Hart). Miss Bates is always boring Emma with tales of the exploits and proud accomplishments of her niece, Jane Fairfax (Amber Anderson). While she would never admit it, Emma feels jealous and threatened by Jane. So when Jane shows up in Highbury for an extended stay with her aunt, Emma finds herself constantly trying to prove herself, and how much better she is than Jane, but these attempts usually end up backfiring.

Emma. is a costume drama mixed with a screwball comedy following the misadventures of Emma and her misguided attempts at matchmaking, and the men whom she doesn’t even realize are fighting for her affections. The film is set in a time when there were strict rules of etiquette and order that folks were expected to obey. Without the ability to properly express or pursue their feelings, the men and women in this town often find themselves acting on mistaken attractions or misunderstandings, and this leads to chaos, confusion and hilarity. Emma is not a very likeable character at the beginning of the film. She preys on an innocent young woman who is supposed to be her friend, all for her own amusement. She knowingly does some despicable and manipulative things, and doesn’t seem to have any real redeeming qualities. However, over the course of the movie, Emma goes on this transformative journey, from behaving badly and only thinking of herself, to actually taking into consideration the feelings of others, and not being so selfish.

The film has a captivating look and feel, with beautiful costumes and locations, and a bold, rich color palette that is quite a feast for the eyes. This is combined with a delightful score, comprised of various choral, orchestral and folky tunes. The filmmakers have done an excellent job of bringing Highbury and its surrounding area life. The town is filled with all kinds of quirky characters, played by a wonderful supporting cast. Miss Bates has this fun, unflappable optimism, no matter what happens to her, or however dire her situation, and Miranda Hart is comedic gold in this role. Henry Woodhouse has a great fear of being left abandoned and alone, and while he is certainly happy to see Miss Taylor find love, he can’t help but constantly exclaim “Poor Miss Taylor” when he thinks about yet another woman in his life leaving him. He becomes obsessed with an imaginary draft in his home—one that Miss Taylor would most certainly have noticed and rectified. There is also a lot of unspoken humor in the background of many scenes, such as any time the Woodhouse butlers are forced to deal with Henry’s eccentricities, or the exasperated look on Isabella’s husband John’s (Oliver Chris) face every time he appears on screen and hears a baby cry or his wife calling for him.

The main cast is also fantastic. Somehow Anya Taylor-Joy still makes you want to root for Emma, despite how despicable she starts off in the film. She has these really expressive eyes that light up every scene. Mia Goth is so delightful as Emma’s dorky and clueless protegee, who looks up to Emma with an unwavering trust and admiration (even though she really shouldn’t). And Johnny Flynn does an excellent job of subtly conveying Mr Knightley’s attraction when he is in Emma’s presence.

While the look of the film and overall story are quite appealing, the one thing that kept me from more fully enjoying this movie is the use of period language. While this may sound more poetic, authentic, and closer to the source material, at times I found it a little tedious and difficult to follow. As a result, the film felt a bit longer than it actually was or needed to be. However, this is most definitely a personal preference, and not any indicator as to the quality of the film—I have always found period Jane Austen adaptations a bit tough to follow at times. That said, those who generally enjoy this kind of early 19th century dialogue will likely have no issues with this aspect of the film, and in fact, delight in it. Either way, the film is gorgeous visually.

Universal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds excellent. The picture is clean and detailed throughout, and really showcases the film’s bright, bold color palette. This is an amazingly beautiful looking film! The audio track provides clear dialogue and showcases the film’s delightful musical soundtrack. The release includes both a Blu-ray and a DVD disc packed in standard HD keepcase with a slipcover, and contains an insert with a code to redeem for an HD Movies Anywhere digital copy of the film. The bonus material consists of 10 deleted scenes, an 11-minute gag reel, three 5-minute behind-the-scenes featurettes, and an audio commentary by the director, screenwriter and cinematographer.

What’s Included:

Film: (2:04:20)

Blu-ray:
• 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), French DTS Digital Surround 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish

DVD:

• 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), French Dolby Digital 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish

Digital (code may not be valid after 6/30/2021):

• HD digital copy redeemable via Movies Anywhere

Extras:

Some of the bonus material is not available on the DVD disc. The *Blu-ray and Digital exclusive features are marked with an *.

• Deleted Scenes (13:24)
  Collection of 10 deleted scenes. Play All, or select from:
  • Miss Smith Waits for Tea (:55)
  • Mr Elton and the Portrait (:47)
  • It’s Dark in Here (:55)
  • I Never Dine with Anybody (:44)
  • Gossip at the Haberdashery (1:33)
  • Let Us Pay a Call on Jane Fairfax (2:59)
  • Freshen the Sponge, Bartholomew (:26)
  • Dressing Miss Woodhouse (1:47)
  • A Post for Dear Jane (1:10)
  • You Owe Me No Apologies (2:10)
• Gag Reel (10:53)
  The cast flub/forget their lines, curse, try to stop laughing, deal with loud animals, crying babies and bloody noses, and just have fun on set.
• A Playful Tease (4:57)
  A behind-the-scenes look at the film with director Autumn de Wilde and stars Anya Taylor-Joy (“Emma Woodhouse”), Josh O’Connor (“Mr Elton”), Mia Goth (“Harriet Smith”), Johnny Flynn (“Mr Knightey”), Bill Nighy (“Mr Woodhouse”) and Callum Turner (“Frank Churchill”). The participants discuss the film’s characters, working with the amazing cast, working with dialect and etiquette coaches, recreating the period, learning the dances, and more.
• The Autumn Gaze* (4:46)
  The cast and crew talk about working with director Autumn de Wilde, and how her photographic background informed her filmmaking process. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Autumn de Wilde, production designer Kave Quinn, set decorator Stella Fox, and stars Mia Goth, Anya Taylor-Joy, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner, Bill Nighy and Johnny Flynn.
• Crafting a Colorful World* (4:48)
  The cast and crew discuss the heavily-stylized look of the film and its bold use of color, the authentic Regency period costumes, finding the unique filming locations, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with production designer Kave Quinn, director Autumn de Wilde, set decorator Stella Fox, and stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner, Mia Goth, and Bill Nighy.
• Feature Commentary with Director Autumn de Wilde, Screenwriter Eleanor Catton, and Director of Photography Christopher Blauvelt (2:04:20)
  The director, screenwriter and cinematographer provide an interesting and informative commentary throughout the film, sharing a lot of insight into the story and characters, and sharing lots of behind-the-scenes stories about the production.

Final Thoughts:

Emma. is a fun and quirky adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel with a delightful cast. Universal’s release features excellent picture and sound, and includes a solid selection of supplemental material. The visually stunning film is sure to please Austen fans, and those of period costume dramas with a humorous twist.