EMMA

Anya Taylor-Joy     Tanya Reynolds     Josh O’Connor     Bill Nighy     Johnny Flynn

Mia Goth     Miranda Hart     Gemma Whelan     Rupert Graves     Amber Anderson     Callum Turner

     Based on a novel by Jane Austen and set in the nineteenth century in England, Emma. is a view mostly of the upper class. The character Emma (Taylor-Joy) embodies the period as a highly admired lady of the town who has been so indulged she comes across as superficial and vain.  Yet she fancies herself such a good judge of others’ character, she rushes into matching her friends up with one another.  Not only does she introduce them, but takes an active role in furthering their romantic relationships.  

     As one would expect, Emma makes some fateful mistakes along the way, misjudging who will be with whom.  Much of the story plays out like an English country dance with constantly changing partners.  That is, we see presumed partners through Emma’s eyes—until reality overcomes fantasy and all is settled in the end.  The one most surprised will be Emma herself.

     Emma. is so well cast, it becomes the film’s strongest asset, helping keep such a mannered story from becoming rather boring to the modern eye.  Taylor-Joy is beautiful and captures Emma’s personality in its mixture of well-intentioned kindness and condescension that stems from over-protection and indulgence.  Still, she maintains an aura of authority in her role as mistress of her father’s house.  

     Co-starring with Taylor-Joy is Johnny Flynn (as George Knightley), the epitome of a gentleman.  Knightley owns a manor brimming with fine art, but is sensitive and always kind and merciful. A neighbor and in-law of Emma and her father, he sees them daily and is Emma’s only critic.  Flynn is perfect for the role in his looks (not so handsome he becomes suspect) and his low-key, personable manner.

     Other prominent roles are carried by Mia Goth as Harriet, a naïve young woman Emma has decided to take under her wing to “make a lady” of her; Rupert Graves (as Mr. Weston) is an appealing “Mr. Nice Guy”, who is social and charming; Bill Nighy as Emma’s hypochondriacal father proves again his effectiveness in being a character actor; and Amber Anderson as the mysterious Jane Fairfax attracts the eye and plays the piano with flourish (Anderson is an accomplished pianist as well as an actor).

     For me, the music provided by David Schweitzer and Isobel Waller-Bridge (composer for “Fleabag” and sister of Phoebe Waller-Bridge) is a high point, coming in unexpectedly at times, religious choral music at other times, and lyrically sweet songs, such as the duet by Jane Fairfax and Johnny Flynn, “The Last Rose of Summer.”  

     I don’t think we really needed another remake of Emma, but director Autumn de Wilde and screenwriter Eleanor Catton have produced a worthy rendition of the Jane Austen classic.  Lovers of Austen’s work will likely be pleased with this update.  Others will not be so impressed.

Emma. is worthy of your attention if you are drawn to period pieces.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THEIR FINEST

Gemma Arterton   Sam Claflin   Bill Nighy   Jack Huston   Richard E. Grant   Jeremy Irons   Eddie Marsan

     How do stories get made?  I like to think that the process shown in Their Finest is art imitating life—that after a bit of brainstorming, the writers sit down and flesh out the script.  In this instance, the story has many layers—comedy, romance, and drama—all while the Germans are bombing London in WWII.  The comedy comes from the actors doing very human things, having touchy egos and eccentricities.  The romance(s) involve the main character, Catrin (Arterton), her artist husband, and another character.  The drama shows us what it is like to live in a city being bombed—the hits and destruction, the near misses, parts of ceilings and whole buildings falling all around.  In the midst of this the British people carry on as if they’re programmed to do so.

     Catrin is elated when she lands a job as a writer for the British Ministry of Propaganda, which is to make a film to boost morale in the country, but eventually, it wants to wow American audiences with it and possibly convince the U.S. to join in the war effort.  Mentoring Catrin is Tom Buckley (Claflin) who seems more egalitarian toward women than other men of that time, and when Catrin attempts to move the film they are making toward a more female slant, he is one of the few who get it.  But they have their disagreements and conflicts too.

     Some of the humor derives from the way men treat women, which seems quaint today, but was actually typical in the early 40’s.  So baldly stated:  “You’ll be paid—of course we can’t give you what a man would make—so, two pounds a week.”  “OK”, she agrees, and feels so proud to be earning anything.  Male egos, actor egos, administrative “spies”, crusty forward women—they’re all put through the comedic mill. 

     Dramatic pull is considerable as we see Catrin struggle with her life and Tom taking an interest in her and boosting her self-esteem.  The actor Ambrose Hilliard (Nighy in one of his spotlight performances) is vain and touchy at first, but gradually relaxes and allows his real talents to emerge.  One of the most rewarding aspects of the film is to see a number of characters make positive changes, often as the result of feedback from those around them.  Award winning actress Gemma Arterton (The Girl with all the Gifts, Tess of the D’Urbervilles) is perfection in portraying a woman of the time—outwardly compliant, charming, and helpful—but thoughtful and with strong opinions inside, and above all willing to take risks.  Her face hardly moves, and you know what she’s thinking, or wonder what she is thinking. 

     Lone Scherfig’s direction of this film-within-a-film shows considerable talent in revealing her understanding of and sensitivity toward women in this film, as in An Education.  She can manage complex, layered dramas that tell multiple stories at the same time, while getting across moral, ethical, and humanitarian principles along with pure entertainment.  Composer Rachel Portman travels on the same wavelength with an impressive, award-winning filmography (Emma, Bessie, Never Let Me Go, Chocolat). 

A film-within-a-film incorporating comedy, drama, and romance.

Grade:  A-                        By Donna R. Copeland

NORM OF THE NORTH

Voices of:     Rob Schneider     Heather Graham     Ken Jeong     Bill Nighy

          It’s disappointing that Norm of the North had a great opportunity to contribute to children’s understanding of climate change and its consequences; instead, it presents a simplistic and rather self-serving argument about preserving the Arctic and why humans should be concerned about it.  By focusing entirely on saving a few polar bears’ home, no mention is made of the Arctic’s importance to all animal and human kind.  It implies that if we can just keep the real estate moguls out of it, the area will remain pristine, e.g., no mention is made of global warming or the effects of cargo ships sailing through the melted ice.

          Dramatic elements are quite silly; it’s one thing to be fanciful and another to plug in whatever comes to mind without regard for cohesion or logical transitions.  Norm (Schneider) is a gentle bear who is next in line to be king of the Arctic, but he is awkward and a poor hunter.  He is shown to have too soft a heart to kill his prey and is ridiculed by all the other animals.  Instead, he likes to dance, as in a real human dance, which is one of the endless anthropomorphic twists that are thematic throughout the story. 

         Norm ends up in New York City, and his path crosses that of Vera (Graham) who works for Mr. Greene, a crooked and really evil real estate developer with plans to build houses “that no one needs” up in the Arctic.  Vera makes friends with Norm (and the three unexplained lemmings accompanying him) and introduces him to her genius daughter.  Intrigue sets in when Greene’s evil intentions begin to surface, and is further complicated by the need to rescue Norm’s grandfather who has been missing for a long time. 

       There is no cohesive story here and nothing to indicate how Norm matures and becomes a true hero.  It all seems to happen randomly and magically.  It does move along much like a cartoon strip, but without the cleverness and humor that usually goes with comics.  Humor is mostly of the hackneyed pratfall, farting and urinating variety. 

If you asked children who saw this movie what it is about, I doubt they could tell you.

Grade:  F                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

--> Judi Dench     Maggie Smith     Bill Nighy     Dev Patel

-->

The name of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is apt in that it is second best to the first production.  It’s not clear to me why this one was made; it is so similar to the other one in terms of the humor, the colorful setting, and the kinds of fixes the characters have to solve.  It’s a bit like hearing a good joke the second time. 

In the first Marigold Hotel, Sonny (Patel) is the young and naïve but totally committed Indian who is trying to get the hotel in operation and recruit senior citizens from England to take residence there.  A group of them do arrive, and connections (and one disconnection) among the characters develop, and their exploration of the Indian sights and culture entertain us nicely. 

Now, the hotel is running and reasonably well managed by Sonny and his co-owner, the crusty but sharp Muriel (Smith).  The two make a trip to America to get financing to acquire an additional hotel and apply to be a part of a franchise.  When they return, they must deal with a few glitches—such as a romantic and business rivalry that Sonny has to deal with.  But most of the story involves the coupling of the characters.  Sonny and his fiancé have set a date for their wedding.  Evelyn (Dench) and Douglas (Nighy) seem to be hitting it off, and when Douglas’ ex, Jean (Penelope Wilton), suddenly appears for a visit, we’re treated to her caustic attempts at humor.  One of the single women is in a dilemma trying to make up her mind between two suitors, and another is holding a lovelorn at bay as she plays the field for a while longer. 

Two somewhat mysterious guests appear and assumptions are made as to who one of them (Richard Gere) actually is, but he immediately begins pursuing Sonny’s mother.  It’s almost like everyone has to be paired up by the end of the show, even though Gere’s character seems entirely extraneous.

The British actors, particularly Dench, Smith, Nighy, and Wilton shine as usual, and are able to elevate the dialog and make their scenes sparkle.  Patel is skilled at playing a range of emotions and deliver his hard sells with rapid fire, and the interactions between him and his fiancé reflect common pre-marital tensions.  The wedding party thrown later is really beautiful and radiates the colorful Indian culture.

John Madden’s direction, the music by Thomas Newman, and cinematography by Ben Smithard are all well executed and contribute to the beauty and entertaining nature of the picture.  I enjoyed the first one much more because it was fresh and new.  While this is still good, it is like a second visit to the same story.

Literally, a second-best production.

Grade:  C            By Donna R. Copeland