Actress Frances O’Connor makes her directorial debut with this look at the life of Emily Bronte, played by Emma Mackey. Her life leading up to her writing her only novel, Wuthering Heights, shortly before her tragically young death is depicted in this largely straightforward biopic, also written by the director.
The film progresses through the hardships of Emily’s life – from the various deaths of loved ones to a doomed romance – in a rather plodding manner. The moments it does come to life, or do something other than the mundane, that is largely thanks to Abel Korzeniowski’s surprising score rather than anything that O’Connor does.
Mackey is pretty good, bearing in mind what she has to work with, though like the rest of the cast her Yorkshire accent comes and goes. However, this really is for fans of the novelist only.
Rating: 5 out of 10