More Emma..
Watched two more episodes of the new Emma, and I'm still bemused over how much they've just ripped from the 1996 film version. Very strange! For example Emma meet Frank Churchill when she's out walking, before he has officially visited his father, just like Gwyneth-Emma met him in that bloody scene in the stuck carriage in the film, and when Mrs Elton visit Emma&Mr Woodhouse for the first time it's very similar in blocking to the film, as well as the scene in the first episode where Emma paints Harriet's likeness - she makes the same silly pose here as in the film.. with the urn.. Those things annoyed me in the film, and they still annoy me here, but at least it isn't Gwyneth Paltrow who does it. Even if I rather like Romola Garai as an actress, here she comes through as sometimes too old and sometimes too young in her was of being. I think it is sloppy writing, they've made Emma too naive, to dreamy here, almost Catherine Moreland-like in her daydreams of eventual matches.. Emma is clever! And annoying, which she still is here, but in the wrong ways usually..
I did think that the dance scene in episode 3 was pretty well constructed, especially the Mr Knightly/Harriet Smith interaction and the Mr Knightly/Emma dancing&talking. Finally they worked as the characters.
The series is rather beautifully shot, but god, the manners are off, the sometimes remembered courtesies, the dialogue.. argh. They've taken away all the subtle (and not so subtle) nuances when it comes to social interactions and tried to write it all out instead, Emma tells everybody how much she dislikes Mrs Elton instead of just showing it through her acting.. etc etc etc.. god..
When I googled I happened to find this article on the bad ratings the series got, it's in Daily Mail (oh horror) but I kind of liked the first comment - Why don't they make any adaptations of Georgette Heyer instead?? Why indeed!!! Her novels would make for great tv. And oh so many great characters and plots to use.
And that makes me very jealous again for those of you who will attend the Georgette Heyer conference this Saturday at Lucy Cavendish College in Cambridge. It sounds great and I hope somebody will report what was said somewhere!
Also, I've made the no-knead master Challah dough that pennyplainknits posted about earlier this week. I didn't have enough honey at home, so used some molasses instead, and also had to use fresh yeast instead of the instant yeast in the recipe, but the dough looks good in my fridge and it will be interesting to see how it turns out tomorrow. I don't think I'll add the nutella though, might just add some seeds and spices..
I did think that the dance scene in episode 3 was pretty well constructed, especially the Mr Knightly/Harriet Smith interaction and the Mr Knightly/Emma dancing&talking. Finally they worked as the characters.
The series is rather beautifully shot, but god, the manners are off, the sometimes remembered courtesies, the dialogue.. argh. They've taken away all the subtle (and not so subtle) nuances when it comes to social interactions and tried to write it all out instead, Emma tells everybody how much she dislikes Mrs Elton instead of just showing it through her acting.. etc etc etc.. god..
When I googled I happened to find this article on the bad ratings the series got, it's in Daily Mail (oh horror) but I kind of liked the first comment - Why don't they make any adaptations of Georgette Heyer instead?? Why indeed!!! Her novels would make for great tv. And oh so many great characters and plots to use.
And that makes me very jealous again for those of you who will attend the Georgette Heyer conference this Saturday at Lucy Cavendish College in Cambridge. It sounds great and I hope somebody will report what was said somewhere!
Also, I've made the no-knead master Challah dough that pennyplainknits posted about earlier this week. I didn't have enough honey at home, so used some molasses instead, and also had to use fresh yeast instead of the instant yeast in the recipe, but the dough looks good in my fridge and it will be interesting to see how it turns out tomorrow. I don't think I'll add the nutella though, might just add some seeds and spices..