http://samuraifrog.blogspot.com/2015/06/film-week_24.html

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

EMMA (1996)
I never caught this one, which came out as part of the vanguard of an explosion of period pieces (including adaptations of most--all?--of Jane Austen's books). Gwyneth Paltrow plays the title heroine, who wants to make love matches for all of her single friends, and gets caught up in misunderstandings. I thought it was quite a charming movie, very fun and light without being simplistic. It also took me back to a time when movies like this were very popular; the mid-nineties seem like a completely different planet of filmmaking these days, and I like going back there from time to time. I thought Paltrow was quite good, but I really liked Jeremy Northam. I miss that guy; such a talented actor, and the only thing I think I've seen him in in the last decade was The Tudors. Very nice to see him in his role here. ****