Emma 1996 Ramble

Hello darlings!

It has been a hot minute since I've seen a period drama and let me tell it, it was really nice to once again indulge in elegant dresses, tea in the garden, balls and parties, and the pretty English houses.

The story of Emma is familiar to me as I did read half of the book once and I have seen the mini-series adaptation.

But I enjoyed this version a lot!

Gwyneth Paltrow was a brilliant Emma!
Ahh, all the aesthetic of a period drama...

In particular, I kept an eye on all of Emma's dress, and they are mostly what I want to ramble about today!

Warning: There are lots of pictures!!! Don't say I didn't warn you!

This one I think is one of my most favourites of all Emma's wardrobe! The yellow colour is so cheery and the stripes are just adorable.

It looks like those are little flowers on her sleeves too, just to add a cherry on the top!

I couldn't find a better picture, but I love this little capelet that Emma wears here. It is so pretty with all the small details.

One of the things I suppose I 'miss' from these eras gone by is all the attention to detail on the fashion alone. The tiny stitching, itty bitty beads and fine lace, all painstakingly made by hand made each garment special. Whereas now, most of our clothing is made speedily with machines and trends changes almost with each passing day.

This pink dress is also very pretty. Honestly pretty much anything pink pleases me though!

There were two rather aesthetic scenes in the film, one being this scene with Emma and Harriet in an apple orchard. The arched branches made it seem like a tunnel of trees and the little pops of red were lovely.

I can't help but pity and like Harriet. Emma confuses her so and she is eager to please so she goes along with it. She may be a little cringy but I think she is sweet and I am glad she gets her own happy ending!

The other quite aesthetic bit was when Mrs Weston and Emma are talking about Mr Knightley amongst some gorgeous pink roses (I think they're roses).  

See how pretty?

Oh and this scene where everyone is picking strawberries is rather lovely too.

Now onto some of the more romantic bits!

I do think that Mr Knightley is one of my favourite Austen heroes. I love his "Men of sense do not want silly wives!" and "Try not to kill my dogs."

He is an exceptionally good sort and not as mushy and 'heroic' as some others. He does not make Emma swoon at his dashing acts of chivalry. They were good friends, to begin with, and I believe there is no sweeter foundation for a romantic relationship than to be very good friends first.
Knightley is also quite sensible, gentlemanly, honest, and full of many other genuine qualities.

I think one of the most popular Emma and Knightley moments is probably when Knightley is reprimanding Emma about her rudeness to Mrs Bates.

Oh, the feels! It must have been horrible for Emma to have such a close and loyal friend as Knightely to scold her so. 

But the best of friends do scold you when you need it and in the end, it will help you. He gave Emma what she needed. 

I loved it when they danced together. Dances are always quite fun parts to watch and in this scene, you can tell they actually begin 'noticing' each other, if you understand my meaning.

Look at all the Emma & Knightley sweetness! *reminds herself for the millionth time that she should read these novels for herself*

To give me some credit I did actually get about halfway through Emma, but then another book caught my attention...

Of course, it wouldn't be an English period drama without some gorgeous British outdoors(especially rose gardens and the like). 

Every time I see the lovely countryside and old houses in England it makes me want to travel there even more.

A perfectly dreamy photo of our dear Emma!

And with that, I hope I have convinced you that this is a wonderful Jane Austen adaptation. I liked it more than the mini-series, to be honest. 

You know this is my first period drama post since January when I wrote a little review on Berkeley Square!

xoxo

Hannah

P. S

*awwww* Your welcome!

"Life seems nothing more than a quick succession of busy nothings."

Dreamy!

How does one put into words all a review of a movie when they love it so much they have no words?
This is my dilemma right now. You see, after seeing the 2007 adaptations of Mansfield Park I decided that it wasn't my favourite JA story. But after watching this one, I LOVE IT!

I'm trying to figure out how to go about this review, I suppose I'll just begin to chat about what I loved about it(well, technically ALL of it was my favourite but that goes without saying!).

First of all, there are two quotes which I loved and stood out to me as I watched:
1. The title of this post, "Life seems nothing more than a quick succession of busy nothings" (- Fanny Price). It's soooo true though! Sometimes life does feel like that. When I heard it, I went back instantly so I could save it.
2. "There are as many forms of love as there are moments in time" - Edmund Bertram
Is this not one of the loveliest quotes you have ever heard?

♥♥♥

Next thing I want to point out is how many of the cast I recognized. I love it when that happens, and usually one of the actors/actresses are from Downton Abbey!
For instance, in Mansfield Prak, there was: Johnny Lee Miller (Mr Knightly in Emma), Lindsey Duncan (only seen her in a Poirot movie, but still..), Victoria Hamilton (Ruby Pratt in Larkrise to Candleford & Queen Mother in The Crown), Charles Edwards(Michael Gregson from Downton) and last but definitely not least........Hugh Bonneville(who I'm sure you know...*whispers, "Downton"*) played the very cringy Mr Rushworth. I mean look.......(ugh, that hair!)...

On the right

Moving on, I love Fanny and Edmund. Together, obviously but also as individuals. Fanny is a perfect mixture of a person who enjoys reading but is also intelligent and doesn't have her head in the clouds like some heroines who read a lot. She's not full of airs from being partially brought up in more upper-class society, even when she returns to her lower class family for a time.

The carriage scene!!!! My ♥!

Edmund and Fanny have a sort of brother/sister relationship, to begin with, but that grows into something more over time as they get older. Edmund is a good sort. 

He is sensible, friendly and loyal.

I was a bit annoyed at his attentions towards Mary Crawford, but that didn't go far when Edmund realised Mary's true colours and character.

Overall, Fanny and Edmund have are a sweet couple and the fact that they spent a big part of their childhood together makes it sweeter!

~

Meh.

Naturally, I did not take a liking to Henry Crawford. Though I do think that I much prefer this actor for Henry Crawford than the actor in the 2007 adaptation.
Mary Crawford was also not my favourite, to say the least. I was glad when Edmund was no longer interested in or engaged to her. I also like this actress better than in the other movie although they look strangely similar.

Love this picture, it's so dreamy and pretty!

Of course, the setting and style of the movie were lovely! The Regency period style was less gorgeous than say...the Victorian and Edwardian era(where the dresses are sumptuous and amazing!) but I still loved all the feels from that time period.

Though I have not read the novel, I do believe that Frances O'Connor played Fann marvellously. I like it when actresses aren't drop dead gorgeous but naturally beautiful and the simple makeup style helps. 

~

Again, despite me not having read any of Jane Austen's main 6 novels right through. if the movies depict her stories right, it seems to me that Austen had an incredible talent for casting her characters. She always has such a wide range and so many of them!

I love Fanny's little window desk nook.

This adaptation vs. the 2007 version is a perfect example of how it the story(portayed in a movie) can be great or not so great based on how it is presented. I for many reasons didn't enjoy the 2007 one as much. I thought that Mansfield Park(the storyline itself) was nit interesting and a bit dull. A lot of moping around until Edmund sees clearly and realises he is in love with Fanny. Whereas this version was utterly lovely and sweet!
(Hope I didn't lose you just there!)

I really liked this outfit of hers!

So that, my darlings, is most of the thoughts I could compose together about this wonderful movie.
I confess I nearly watched it again tonight(like a few days after first seeing it!).

~

Tell me, have you seen it and which version do you like better?

xoxo
Hannah

Another Period Drama Tag

I feel like I can't say 'another' period drama tag because I never did the '1st' one. Anyway, I was tagged by my fellow blogger, dear follower and fellow lover of period drama, Elanor. Elanor writes her musings on her blog. She also created this tag. Thank you, Elanor for tagging me! Now on to my answers!


1. What was the most recent period drama you watched? Share what you thought of it.

Jane Eyre. I watched it with my mum. It was.......not what I expected. I expected it to be a bit like an Austen movie. I was wrong to expect that. I liked it but it was sad and a little gloomy. 

2. Do you generally prefer period dramas in the form of a movie or TV series/mini-series? Why?

I really don't mind as long as it's a good period drama!



3. What is your favourite musical period drama?

Singin' in the Rain! Love, love, love it so much. It's the perfect movie to brighten any rainy day!
(The Sound of Music too! It is such a classic! It's truly lovely and I can remember watching it a lot when I was younger and singing all the songs).

4. Read the book first or watch the movie first?

I have normally watched most period dramas before reading their book. Not actually making the decision to but we just end up watching it and then I'll most likely want to read the book. Also, I've been wanting to use this photo for so long!

5. What valuable life lesson have you learnt from a period drama?

What a deep question Elanor! Um, Cake is my one weakness!

6. Which period drama hero would you be likely to fall in love with in real life?

Henry Tilney ♥ Partly because JJ Field plays him in the movie but also because I love his character. He is so gentlemanly, kind and respectful! All things I admire.

7. Do you ever like to binge-watch a period drama series?

Would I like to? YES. Am I allowed to? No.

8. What things go best with watching a period drama?

My family, a mug of something hot, something sweet to eat and a cold night. But these could go with any movie.

9. Which period drama do you think you would fit into best?

Call the Midwife I think. I consulted my mum and siblings and they agreed! I like the fashion around then and all the characters are so lovely! (I was so shipping Jenny and Jimmy but it was not to be I suppose)

10. If you could have any period drama character for a best friend, who would it be? And why?

Lady Rose would be such a fun bestie! We could borrow each other's clothes(I do love her clothes so much, except the first dress you see her in. Remember that one?), go dancing, talk over some tea, have fun with friends. We are both social people and so we would go well together!

11. Show us a picture of a period drama costume you wish you wear in real life.

THIS DRESS! Soft, rosy, flowy, sparkly, perfect! I love a lot of Lady Rose's wardrobe. ♥


12. Are there any period dramas you like to watch during a particular season or holiday?

No, anytime is good for any period drama. Though I would like to watch the Downton Abbey Christmas Finale each December!

13. Which period drama has your favourite soundtrack?

The Call the Midwife soundtrack makes me smile! And The Light Between Oceans soundtrack is beautiful!


14. Dream cast your favourite actor and actress in a period drama of your choosing; tell which parts they would play and why.

Ooh, this is such a hard question! After some thought, I decided to cast Abbie Cornish and Michael Fassbender in Emma. I love Ramola Garai and the others in Emma but it's the one period drama I don't mind re-casting. The actors I chose are not my absolute favourites either but I thought they could pass as Emma and My Knightley.

15. Are there any period dramas you like more than one version of?

Not really. Either I have only seen one version or I only liked the one version.


16. What are the top three period dramas that you haven't seen on your to-watch list?

Breathe, The Man Who Invented Christmas and Victoria S2!


17. Show us a picture of your favourite period drama hairstyle.

Another Downton Abbey answer! I'm sorry but it is one of my favourite period dramas ever!
Lady Sybil has gorgeous hair and I love this hairstyle.


18. What was your favourite wedding in a period drama?

As much as I wanted to say Mary & Matthew's wedding, Amy & Arthur's wedding was also long-awaited. It made me so happy to see them so happy at last!


19. What is your favourite biographical period drama?

A United Kingdom. I love stories, true or fictional, about the whole coloured situation. I have got the book of this but haven't read it yet. This movie is done wonderfully. They are an amazing couple!
And Belle! ♥♥♥

20. Which historical novel will you forever recommend to anyone and everyone?

I keep saying how I NEED to re-read this book! I do recommend to ALL who read this post and those who do not. (Also, Little Women is a must read for every girl ♥)

Well, that was jolly fun! Some hard questions but nevertheless, fun! Thank you again, Elanor.
I do not know who to tag as most of the other bloggers I know have already done this tag.

I tag:
Any of you who have not done it yet!