Classic romp is toff going

BUT STODGY DRAMA IS VISUAL TREAT

IF you don’t enjoy being crammed between garish balloons and desperate couples, the cinema has always offered a Valentine’s escape from the overpriced restaurant.

Sadly, this year only two romantic movies will be served up on the big night.

If your other half isn’t a fan of Japanese gangster films (see First Love, right), they’ll have to give at least a single hoot about the marriage prospects of Regency toffs.

Gwyneth Paltrow made a decent fist of Jane Austen’s heroine in the 1996 costume drama of the same name. But for me, the most entertaining version was 1995’s Clueless, which took the story to

20th Century Beverly Hills. Here, Autumn de Wilde (an expop video director who sounds like she’s escaped from a Jackie Collins novel) sticks mostly to the script to deliver another sumptuous but stodgy heritage drama.

Rising Hollywood star Anya Taylor-Joy uses a convincing English accent to play Emma Woodhouse, a spoiled 20-yearold who lives in country pile with her hypochondriac father (an unimaginatively cast Bill Nighy).

As she has no pressing need to woo a rich suitor, she amuses herself by playing matchmaker to her less fortunate peers. Her new plaything is Harriet Smith (Mia Goth), a simpering simpleton who boards at the local girls’ school. Emma matches Harriet with pompous comedy vicar Mr Elton (Josh O’Connor), much to the annoyance of smouldering neighbour George Knightley (a hairy Johnny Flynn). We