EMMA ***

The cast are perfection, the settings sublime and the social observation is as 'Austen' as any Austen I've seen. Yes, this new version of "Emma" is really quite wonderful and I would venture to say even a step up on the 1996 Douglas McGrath version. My only real quibble is that Anya Taylor-Joy, fine as she is, can't quite match Gwyneth Paltrow. Otherwise, what's not to love; a Knightly who isn't too suave or too handsome, (Johnny Flynn, splendid), a Frank Churchill who actually is something of a charmer and nowhere near as obnoxioous as he's often painted, (an excellent Callum Turner), and a gorgeously obsequious Mr. Elton from Josh O'Connor who just about walks off with the film while director Autumn de Wilde, (love that name), keeps it very nicely in period , (none of those little post-modern nods that now seem to be common in pictures of this kind). I also loved her use of English folk song on the soundtrack but this was just the icing on a very sweet cake. This is Jane Austen the way Jane Austen should be done.