Amy & Emma

[valancy_s]

Tonight, as last week, I will be hosting a live discussion of tonight's installment of Little Dorrit. Swing by from 9:00 to 10:30 EST (U.S.) to join in the fun!

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Those of you on bbccostumedrama have seen this already but for the rest:

FILMING TO START ON NEW BBC 'Emma'

My thoughts:
1) Does the world need a new Emma just now? No. But that never stops

Comments

[lydzi]

Actually Gambon will probably nail the character of Mr Woodhouse. I remember being completely blown away by his performance in "Daughters and Wives". Believe :).

Romola Garai I agree with you completely. She's going to be be the perfect Emma (since I really don't like Paltrow, even if she was good in the movie, it's going to be a nice welcomed change).

Miller is a mystery. I liked him allright in the awful movie of Mansfield Park but that's not saying much really. And I would have much prefered Richard Armitage but we'll see...

Emma is my least favourite Austen novel so it's harder to disappoint me with it.

[valancy_s]

You're right, I should have faith in Gambon. He is definitely fantastic in Wives and Daughters... it's just, he always seems to play a variety of that gruff, brash, loud kind of role. This will be a test for him!

I wholeheartedly agree with your other three comments :)

[soniag]

Second, he's getting thick in the middle and thin on top these days.

Oh, they'll cinch him into a corset and slap a hairpiece on his head and all will be well! Ha ha!

Seriously, though, I'm happy about Romola and rather bleh about the rest.

Emma has never been one of my favorites of Austen's, so there's less risk my heart will be broken by a bad adaptation. (Edit -- isn't it funny how I echoed the above comment? Totally unintentional.)

[valancy_s]

That was funny; I definitely had deja vu as I was reading them one after another :)

a hairpiece on his head

As long as they don't hire Battlestar's wigmaker!!

Seriously though, I'm sure they can make him look pretty good, I'm just wondering if they will. I was never more surprised than to discover Mark Strong could look a bit handsome, after his creepiness in the 90s TV Emma.

Overall, I agree with you though - I'm not getting worked up, because, well, it's just Emma.

[thepresidentrix]

I think he'd look pretty hot wearing Number Six's wig!

[thepresidentrix]

Egad, I had such a crush on Jonny Lee Miller, once upon a time. I couldn't care less if he gains weight and loses hair - I know we look to period films for heartthrobs, but would it kill us to be a little more understanding toward the variety of the male form and the reality of aging? Austen herself didn't seem to think looking older was such a bad thing - but I haven't been able to think of him the same way since I found out he was once married to Angelina Jolie. Off with the crush - like a switch. That way lies madness.

Michael Gambon is such a cute old bat. I heart him. I dunno if he's right for the role, but I think he's sweet, so I'm content for now. And I do like Romola Garai very, very much. (I wonder if Bill Nighy, who played her dotty father in I Capture the Castle would have been a good choice? But then he's already played her father).

[valancy_s]

Way to call me out on my shallowness :) It's true, aging men shouldn't be held to unfair standards of beauty any more than women are. But, well, women are held to far worse standards, so can I pretend it's just for payback that I'd prefer to see a pretty 37ish-year-old in the part than a squidgy one?

Also, his very pink lips bothered me all through Mansfield Park. Other than that I liked him. And I liked him in Eli Stone. But you're right, men once taken by the Angelina cannot be crushed on by other women.

It would be nice to see Garai and Nighy paired again! And he's much closer to my idea of the character... but his twitching might drive me mad :P

[thepresidentrix]

Heeheehee, silly pink lips. I actually have a thing for men with oddly full or otherwise noticeable lips - dunno why, just do

[valancy_s]

I totally take your point and feel bad for my remark (I'd edit it out, but now that there are all these comments about it, it wouldn't be to much avail

[otahyoni]

Ooh, I do love Romola Garai. I desperately want someone to remake Rebecca with her as the nameless Mrs. DeWinter.

Also, I think I need to join this bbccostumedrama of which you speak. :)

[valancy_s]

Oo! I could definitely see her in a Rebecca remake.

bbccostumedrama is a fantastic, magical place! You must indeed join!

Huh.

[tinuviellen]

Well, first off, I've no idea why they need to remake Emma either. Yes, fine, it's funny, but she's a bit mean, and they've made two within the last ten years. Will no one take on Lady Susan? And whyever not? So annoying

Re: Huh.

[valancy_s]

I KNOW! Why NOT Lady Susan? It's not so great, but the right screenwriter and director could make such a fun movie out of it.

he's multifaceted

I do hope you're right, I really really do. He was certainly milder in Cranford. It's just... I keep picturing him hurling Harry up against walls. However he acts, it will take a mental leap for me to see him as Mr. W.

You know, you've hit the nail on the head about JLM!! It's not really a question of attractive/not attractive - it's a question of type. He's not, well, the knightly type. He's the woobie type.

assumed he had a head full of white hair.

Ha! And I take it, now that you are his very age, your opinion has altered somewhat? ;)

Re: Huh.

[thepresidentrix]

Ah, the woobie type. True. That is a problem! Though not a problem for me having the attractions, so much as for this part. I do love me some woobie, from time to time... (See above).

And oh, Arthur, when will eight o'clock finally come???

Re: Huh.

[tinuviellen]

8pm? We have to wait until 9. The agony! Of course, at 8 I'd still be putting the kids to bed, so I suppose it's better. I am really excited for the new episode, though.

And yeah. I didn't notice the alleged thickening or thinning at all, because I was so charmed by the sweet and earnest woobieness of Eli Stone, the character. I don't think this applies to Knightley, though.