Pemberley (Lyme Park, Cheshire)

Pemberley (Lyme Park, Cheshire)
Oh, to be in England...

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Emma 2009

Emma (2009)This new 4 part miniseries by the BBC is hot off the presses as I write this.  I love it! Oh my goodness this one is a keeper. Romola Garai brings a fresh take on Emma and is more likeable than either Gwyneth  or Kate B.  She truly pulls you into the story and it really tugs at your heart when things begin to go awry for her. Romola’s facial expressions throughout are delightful. 
The scenery as usual, is heavenly.  I was especially enchanted with the location for Hartfield which was filmed at the unusually named Squerrye’s Court, Kent.  I absolutely want to move there. Ok, visit there?  It is very pretty inside and totally breathtaking outside.  The grounds, the house, I even liked the 6 chimneys on the roof.  I very rarely have house envy in these adaptations, but I really could live there.  Anybody want to come with me?  It is open Wed and Sun all spring and summer and only £7!  The house used for Donwell Abbey is not really too appealing, so I can understand why Mr. Knightly is not bothered at all to move in with the Woodhouses.BBC obviously spared no expense on this one.  

Well cast is Jonny Lee Miller (aka the former Mr. Angelina Jolie) as Mr. Knightly-very yummy indeed. His scolding isn’t really too heavy handed and the chemistry between him and Romola Garai is lovely.  So much said with only a few wistful looks on each side.  Sigh.Mr. Woodhouse is lovingly played by Michael Gambon, who has enchanted us before as Squire Hamley in Wives and Daughters and Mr. Holbrook in Cranford.  He gives a more sympathetic portrayal than others have done.  You can see that he was devastated by his wife’s sudden death and all of his fussing actually seems justified in this light.  He is also more active, outside more and less feeble than we are used to in a Mr. Woodhouse, although still very well bundled up.Miss Bates, Tamsin Greig, is very good, although she channels Sophie Thompson’s version a bit at times.  But again, more sympathetic and less over the top than in other versions.

Mr. Elton, well, what can we say here?  They have certainly made him more handsome by casting Blake Ritson, which works well with his foppishness and conceit and also makes it more likely that he could have the girls of Highbury swooning.  This also shows that Emma is not impressed by a handsome face alone. The fact that both he and Jonny Lee Miller played Edmund Bertram in the last 2 versions of Mansfield Park is unusual to say the least (as is the fact that Jonny Lee Miller’s second acting gig at the age of 11 was the role of Charles Price in the 1983 BBC Mansfield Park).  This just goes to prove the 20 British actors theory of my sister’s.  I have to complement Blake’s acting, both in the carriage proposal scene and at the end where he is joining Harriet and Mr. Martin in matrimony.  Priceless!

Christina Cole as Mrs. Elton (Augusta!) is starting to get a little typecast in the witchy-poo role in so many productions, starting with Clarissa in What a Girl Wants and more recently as Caroline Bingley in Lost in Austen.  She does it well however, and she looks to be having a great deal of fun tossing her curls and attacking Jane Fairfax at every corner.

Now the role of Harriet Smith is rather tenderly done by newcomer Louise Dylan. She plays more of the innocence and naivete of the character rather than the stupidity and goofiness of other Harriets (sorry Toni Collette).  I thought she did a lot with a rather difficult role.

Jodhi May is a little under utilized here as Miss Taylor/Mrs. Weston.  To truly see her act, just pop in Daniel Deronda (you will also not be disappointed with Hugh Dancy’s countenance or with Romola Garai’s dresses in DD!)  The actress playing Emma’s sister, Poppy Miller, sort of steals the show at the end where Emma and Mr. Knightly set out on their honeymoon.  For that matter, the character of John Knightly is a lovely surprise as played by Dan Fredenburgh.  He is playful and fun to watch.  The Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax characters are well played but unexceptional. Perhaps this is more to do with the fact that I never really warm to these two in any version.  Must be how Jane Austen wrote them.

I have to say that I love to get a little misty eyed when watching an adaptation for the first time and I counted at least twice that I was a little sniffy.  Maybe it was hormones but I think the production must be given credit for the tears.Well done Emma, well done indeed.

19 comments:

  1. This is my favourite version of Emma! I love it!

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  2. Me too Emma. This version is fun, gorgeous and very romantic. Jonny Lee Miller can lecture me any time!

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  3. I think Jonny Lee Miller & Romola Garai are perfect as Emma & Mr. Knighley! Jonny is very handsome & Romola is pretty. Some of my favourite scenes are;
    The Dance
    The proposal
    The conversation on the bench
    When Emma says she cannot marry Mr. Knightley and he cofomrts in a tender & loving way. Awww!

    I also love the costumes in this adaptation. Everything about Emma is lovely & I enjoyed this version so much I read the novel too which is great too.

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  4. Hi again Kate,

    The conversation on the bench is so sexy! I love the way he caresses her hand. And the part when she bursts in on him and says "You know I love you and I always will, but we can never marry. That is all!" So hilarious but you're right about how sweet he is with her. Holding her hand when they go to tell her father....sooooooo cute! I sometimes go on YouTube to watch my fave parts if I only have a few minutes and I need an Emma fix!

    I think the BBC deserves a lot of credit for getting many of us to read novels like Emma which we would likely never have read otherwise. I was the same as you and I read this straight away, but it was after the Gwenyth Paltrow version. I like this one better, but my sister still likes the earlier version. To each her own!

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  5. I also love the part where Mr. Knightly holds Emma's hand when they go talk to her father it is nice because Emma is very worried and Mr. Knightly is comforting her again. Why can't all men be like an Jane Austen hero? Sigh....

    The strange thing is if I hadn't watched this version of Emma, I would have never have read the novel as I disliked Emma as a character & I also dislike the Paltrow/Beckinsale versions I have never warmed to Emma until I saw this adaptation. I thought Romola made Emma like able and gave her a personality. Micheal Gambon played Mr Woodhouse brilliantly and made him very funny to watch. This is my all time favourite adaptation of Emma.

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  6. Yes, the other versions kind of make Emma out to be the popular girl in school, who for most of us is not a very sympathetic character. In this version, you kind of feel sorry for her as she has never left Highbury and is so tied to her father and really rather lonely. The other versions didn't really give me that sympathy for her character. I think Romola and Jonny are both perfect. I did sort of like Jeremy Northam as Knightley however. "My dear, darling friend"...mmmmmmm.

    I think all men should read Jane Austen to find out what the women really want. They could even steal a few lines and I don't think any girl would mind. Both of my teen boys have watched at least parts of all of my Austen films, so I have hopes that some of this will rub off and maybe I'll be thanked by future girlfriends/wives!

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  7. I never really like Emma productions that much, the Emmas were almost always too much of the Emma at the beginning of the novel and never really grew throughout film/series. But Romola Garai does it so perfectly that the gradual changes to her depiction of Emma are nuanced and just right so that I really did like Emma the way Jane Austen must have intended her - supposing to be the only one who’ll ever like her Emma. And isn't Jonny Lee Miller just great as Knightley? He is funny, sexy and just gives a perfect Knightley to a perfect Emma by Romola Garai.
    How I love Knightley's reaction when Emma tells him that she is ashamed of being seen with him because he did not come with the carriage. Miller's face is so to the point when telling Emma that she didn't come with him "Look". What a great adaptation, something I didn't expect when starting to watch it. What a fool I was.
    Rena

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  8. I haven't watched my Emma DVD for ages! I think I need a Mr. Knightly fix don't you?!

    Kate xxxx

    Leeds, England

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  9. @ Rena and Kate-you girls are making me need to watch this again. Jonny Lee and Romola are wonderful. Who could want any more?

    My guys are watching football. Perhaps Mom should go in another room and put on Emma!

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  10. @Jenny - I rewatched Emma and fell in love with it all over again! JLM and RG are wonderful and I love the costumes Emma wears! Emma always makes me happy, warm and cosy!

    Kate x

    Leeds, England

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  11. Hi Kate! Just finished Emma again last night. You're right, the acting and the costumes are so wonderful. I think the ending is brilliant. I even love the little scene with John and Isabella seeing them off. Adorable!

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  12. Your site is more than a blog and so fantastic, not only can I read about things I like myself but also learn and share. Thanks for this great site, Jenny, I shall come back very soon again. I know this might not be the right place to say all this as it is somehow unrelated to Emma, but honestly, I want to say once again how good it is to be able to read about your observations and getting back to these great adaptations seeing them from different angles and cherishing them even more.
    Thank you,
    Rena

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  13. Hi Rena! You can comment anywhere. I will always respond. Thanks so much for your kind words. I am so glad that you are enjoying my blog. I called it the Jane Austen Film Club because I was hoping to have all of these great conversations about my favourite adaptations and films.

    So comment away! I love the conversations!

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  14. @ Rena and Kate-

    I should have added that I am still grinning from finishing Emma again this week. Rena you are right about the looks that shoot back and forth between Emma and Mr. Knightley. Romola and Jonny are so expressive! And Kate you are right about the costumes. I was drooling over all of Emma's dresses. Especially that yellow one at the end! Mmmmmmm!

    And the location called Squerrye's Court is one of the best locations I have ever seen in an adaptation.

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  15. I rewatched Emma last weekend as I wasn't feeling well. My mum made me a cup of tea, put on my Emma DVD on our big TV in the sitting room and I fell in love with Emma and Mr Knightley once again while sipping tea! Lovely!

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  16. I absolutely loved this show, I am a massive Austen fan and have read the books about a million times. I just love the colours and how everything is so bright- apparently they wanted it to look like an oil painting not a watercolour and I think it works so well, especially in comparison to the pastel colours in what seems like all Austen adaptations! However, I have to say this version just made me fall in love with John, I know which brother I would choose if given the chance! Tall, dark, handsome and funny. Mr Knightley just seemed too serious in comparison!

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    1. Hi Anon. This was yummy wasn't it? Your observation about the colours in this version is spot on. I could spend some time in that house of hers anytime.
      And yes, I adored the John Knightley character too. The scene at the end with Isabella and John Knightley watching the honeymoon carriage depart is one of my fave scenes in ANYTHING. I cry and laugh at the same time, every time I watch this. Luuuuurve it!

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  17. I love love this adaptation too compared to the older two! Great cast, acting, scenery and etc!!

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  18. I love this adaptation version too compared to the older 2. Great casting, story, scenery, MUSIC (love the music) and etc!!

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