EMMA

By DANIEL LUCAS

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BY JANE AUSTEN
ROMOLA GARAI, JONNY LEE MILLER
BBC WARNER
2.9.10

The tale of Emma has been told and retold. Its most recent incarnations were that of Clueless with Alicia Silverstone, or the movie version starring Gwyneth Paltrow (or the television version with Kate Beckinsale). But this four-hour BBC version trumps them all.

What the BBC always does right is authentic reproduction, burying you deep in detail—from the landscape to the goddamn doilies, everything is meticulously pored over and re-pored. The other detail this version truly nails is the two lead characters—Emma Woodhouse and Mr. Knightley.

Relative newcomer Romola Garai is given the opportunity of a lifetime in the title role, and she brings it home. An unknown, she has no baggage to carry you out of the period.

Jonny Lee Miller (Mr. Knightley) should have baggage—he was the memorable "Sick Boy" role in Trainspotting—but in a topcoat with tails, he's barely recognizable. Now a dramatic TV veteran (his ABC vehicle Eli Stone lasted only two seasons), he doesn't push it, letting Austen's wit shine through.

The real joy in watching this program are those long, luscious shots of the English countryside.

At one point, director Jim O'Hanlon takes a cue from Scorsese in Goodfellas and leads us through Hartfield Estate as Emma glides through her not-really-enchanted world. This year's Emma is a new, sparkling jewel of any Austen collection.

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