No. 8. (2020) EMMA February 10th.

Film No 8 (2020)  February 10th.  6:30 PM  LUNA PALACE Windsor,  Nedlands . 

"Who can think of Miss Smith when Miss Woodhouse is near?". (The trifling musings of Mr Elton as he fails to see the path Emma is making for him so he might court Miss Smith, or better still marry Miss Smith).

Another British costume drama wringing out the Jane Austen, 204 year old classic tale, Emma. Lead, Anya Taylor-Joy, gives a cutesy take on this manipulative protagonist who compares favourably with the sweeter versions played by Paltrow (1996 Emma) and Silverstone (1995 Clueless). Taylor-Joy is both cute and edgy, it's an interesting take.

Johnny Flynn (Beast) plays friend, confidant, agitator and finally lover, George Knightley, with a believable balance. Someone needs to prick the conscience of Emma, Flynn has a raw masculinity which leads to much, much more. Chemistry is all important for this tale, Taylor-Joy and Flynn provided first time feature director Autumn de Wilde with a good platform to launch a career. 

Bill Nighy fans will lap up his stately but quirky interpretation of Emma's father, Mr Woodhouse. Nighy would surely have been licking his lips at the prospect offered up in this script. And while Nighy's role is minor he steals every scene so subtly we hardly realised he's "picked the pockets" of the other players.

I'm not in love with this type of fare. But I know plenty of film goers who are and they all enjoyed this interpretation of Austen's tale of matchmaking and social manipulation. I'll take their word on this classic. It will be loved by many. 9GUMS.