Emma is not my favorite Austin book, and she is my least favorite character of all the Austin books. The way she is written, I doubt we are supposed to like her! But never have I seen a movie version like this one that seems predisposed to make you like her less than you did before.

The costuming and cinematography are stunning and worth seeing this film for, regardless of the heightened, flawed character. You need to look past the odd addition of a bloody nose in a focal moment (that is not in the book) and past some casting I thought was less than ideal. We were delighted, though, to see Miss Bates played by a favorite former character from Call the Midwife (Chummy). There were some choice bits with Emma’s father in particular, as well as some great dance scenes to savor.

All in all I give this film four stars. If you are an Austin aficionado, you won’t want to miss it.