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I believe that this adaptation deserves a much lower grading than the Hollywood adaptation with Gywneth Paltrow, since it doesn't manage to portray any of the Austen's subtle wit and humour, and it does not bring onto screen any likable characters. K. Beckinsale's Emma is a spoiled, self-righteous girl, without the softness or humour of G. Paltrow's Emma. M. Strong's Knightley is a harsh brooding person, without the wit or gentleness of Northam's Knightley. The atmosphere is also rather gloomy: the scenes filmed in the dark, the thieves episode, the more obvious presence of servants in the story. The script might be closer to the book regarding the details, but it is certainly far from the luminous and satiric spirit of Austen. Everybody seems to take him/her-self much more seriously here, and Emma seems never to realize that she is prone to mistakes as any other human being; she preserves that self-righteous feeling until the end of the movie.

It is through this adaptation that I discovered the wit and humour of Jane Austen. Admitedly, the first half hour is rather tedious, but once you start to get to know the characters and start having an idea of what the plot will be like, everything becomes fully enjoyable. Gwyneth Paltrow is a perfect amiable and pretty Emma, while Jeremy Northam is a real treat as Mr Knightley: full of charm and wit, and having a smile of his own, which is certain to gain the heart of female viewers :) Personally, I found this adaptation much more enjoyable (and less gloomy) than the Andrew Davies' version with Kate Beckinsale. The subtle satire of Austen writings is quite obvious in this adaptation; the music is very nice (by the way, there is the same dancing song from Pride&Prejudice'95 version used here, but with a more vivid tonality),and the fact that many scenes are filmed outdoors, among beautiful scenery, give more poesy to the adaptation.