The film is strongest, however, when it focuses on this odd little family and their extraordinary achievements – on the competition and support between the siblings, and all their kindnesses and cruelties. That’s the environment that made Emily Brontë who she was and helped her write what she did, and that is fascinating to see brought to life. Emily had its world premiere in the Platform Prize lineup at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2022. [8] The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival before being theatrically released in the United Kingdom by Warner Bros. Pictures on 14 October 2022. [9] Reception [ edit ] Critical response [ edit ] Delcroix, Olivier (1 October 2022). "Emily de Frances O'Connor triomphe au 33e festival du film britannique de Dinard". Le Figaro (in French) . Retrieved 2 October 2022.

Emily DVD Release Date April 18, 2023

TIFF Unveils Platform Lineup: New Films from 'Cuties' Director, Frances O'Connor, and More". IndieWire. 3 August 2022 . Retrieved 3 August 2022. Emily is the kind of origin story that imagines antecedents in Brontë’s life to elements of her novel, like a passionate affair or a bitter rivalry – given the subject, these things can go hand in hand. Using the fictional narrative in Wuthering Heights as a window into Brontë is inevitable for any kind of biography since so little is known about the author. Most biographical details are filtered through Charlotte’s voice, published in biographies of the Jane Eyre author, which O’Connor understandably treats as suspect. Her film imagines a petty rivalry between the siblings. She depicts Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling) as a loving sister but one whose affection can often verge on patronizing.Film and TV Projects Going Into Production – Emily". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021 . Retrieved 9 May 2021. She also doesn’t treat Brontë’s mental and emotional challenges as an obstacle or some unfortunate plague on her short life – the author died from tuberculosis at 30. They are just facets to this deep-feeling and sharply critical character who the film assumes funnelled her joys, sadness, yearning for tenderness and perspective on human behaviour into Wuthering Heights. Emily's father engages Weightman to teach Emily French, which he does, while arguing religious philosophy with her. Branwell encourages Emily to drink and play, and Emily uses some opium she finds in a desk, and has "Freedom in thought" tattooed on her arm like Branwell has; their favourite pastime involves staring in the window of a local family and scaring them at night. They are eventually caught, but when Emily denies her involvement, Branwell is sent to work for the family as a tutor as punishment. Branwell is caught kissing the mistress of the house and is sent elsewhere in disgrace. Popular legend has it that the real-life Weightman was romantically involved with youngest sister Anne Brontë, but British-Australian actor turned writer-director Frances O’Connor’s thrillingly confident feature debut imagines him being torn between the attraction and repulsion that Emily inspires. Emily feels the sharp cut of that dual-edged sword too, although initially she appears more smitten with her brother, who lands and then squanders a place at the Royal College of Art and has the words “Freedom of Thought” scrawled on his forearm. Drink and opium will lead Branwell off the rails, and the film’s subdued palette turns to lush, oversaturated hues when Emily first shares his pupil-dilating vices in a grassy paradise. Later, they will peer in through windows in the dead of night, fleshly precursors of Cathy and Heathcliff. In Brussels, Emily has a vision of Weightman and shortly after receives news that he died of cholera. The sisters return to tend an ailing Branwell. His final act before dying is to give Emily Weightman's letter in which he urges her to continue to write. After Branwell's death Emily writes Wuthering Heights. Now on her death bed, Emily confesses to Charlotte that she was in love with Weightman, and asks Charlotte to burn the love letters between the two after she dies. Charlotte does so and begins to write her own works.

Emily (2022) - IMDb

Emily is a sexy movie. O’Connor finds immense pleasure in awkward touches, stolen glances and overdressed characters tearing away at all the layers they have on. At one point, the film lingers on the work Weightman puts into hastily untying Brontë’s corset. It’s a very thoughtful and perhaps feminist bit of on-screen foreplay that isn’t all captured in one shot because of how laborious the process is. And it’s thrilling to watch. The songs There's No One Quite Like Emily, The Work Song, Whatever We Do (Pride), and Engine Roll Call appear after the stories As Good as Gordon, Emily and the Garbage, Rosie's Carnival Special, and The Best Engines Ever. Emily review – the wildest Brontë sister is set free in full-blooded gothic fable". The Guardian. 16 October 2022 . Retrieved 16 October 2022. Warner Bros. UK distributes the film in its native United Kingdom as well as the Republic of Ireland. [7] Release [ edit ]

As Emily Brontë is ill and near death, her older sister Charlotte asks her what inspired her to write her novel Wuthering Heights. Emily goes with Charlotte to her school to learn to be a teacher, while her brother Branwell goes to study at the Royal Academy of Arts. Both Emily and Branwell return shortly after as failures, Branwell proclaiming he is now more interested in writing and Emily at a loss for what to do. Emily review – love, passion and sex in impressive Brontë biopic". The Guardian. 12 October 2022 . Retrieved 14 October 2022. Rigid historians will have a field day with this and the other guesswork in the film, like Brontë’s leisurely opium use and the central illicit affair she has with William Weightman, a parish curate who lived in the family’s home for a few years. Maybe this affair never happened. If it did, who would ever write about it? In any case, the way O’Connor pairs them together just feels right. Emily premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival before being theatrically released in the United Kingdom by Warner Bros. Pictures on 14 October 2022.