by Kristin Ciliberto, Contributing Writer
Emma Mackey, who is known for starring in Netflix’s Sex Education series as Maeve Wiley, has recently won a BAFTA award. In her latest role, she stars in Emily, the biopic of Emily Brontë, set in the 1840s. Brontë wrote one of the most famous novels, Wuthering Heights, as she passed away at age 30. Director and writer Frances O’Connor re-imagines that before writing her novel, Emily struggled with her mother’s death, lived with her siblings, and yearned for artistic and personal freedom.
O’Connor has spent most of her career as an actress, starring in films such as Bedazzled, A.I.Artificial Intelligence, and The Importance of Being Earnest. Emily is her directorial feature debut, and she ambitiously takes on risks to bring the not-so-true story of Brontë to life. The film has all the key ingredients to make it a great period piece, from the costume designs to the lavish landscapes. However, none of the characters, including Emily, are interesting. Mackey as Emily is free-spirited, a dreamer, rebellious, and seen as the outcast in her family. Her character often gets into conflicts with her family, whether it is with her father ,who is a priest, or her sister Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling), who is a teacher.
To be fair, Mackey does a great job of bringing Emily to life and adds spice to the role. I believe she nails the role according to O’Connor’s vision of what Emily was all about. Oliver Jackson-Cohen as William Weightman is more reserved in his role, and once he forms a passionate relationship with Emily, they have excellent chemistry together. However, it’s how O’Connor writes the characters that is not as emotionally compelling.
The film messes blends genres, combining drama, romance, coming-of-age, and Gothic horror. This was a time when men and women’s perspectives were different, and it’s strangely communicated with the editing choices. At times, it looks like a horror film, and at other times, it looks like they were tormented. It does not work, and leaves you thinking you just watched two different films. There is even a scene when Emily wears a mask of her dead mother’s face and talks to her siblings as if she’s their mother from beyond the grave. That scene feels out of place.
Emily is slightly over two hours long, and it explores Emily’s short life. The narrative structure does not have a strong flow, and the film has trouble transitioning from scene to scene. It is only when Emily has the courage to write her novel that the film is compelling. I couldn’t take much away from the film, as it did not exactly connect with me in the ways I was hoping it would. Aside from Mackey being the best aspect of the film, Emily could have been something more — instead, it’s a slight chore to get through.
Score: 6/10
Emily is currently playing in theaters
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