From the apparent orderliness and perfection of a wealthy Milanese family life, the glacial Emma is gradually seduced into what becomes a headlong rush into the realms of the senses. Tilda Swinton's performance is a profoundly moving portrayal of an outsider finding the mask she has donned to fit in simply inadequate in the face of passion and the power of unconditional love. A film (scored by John Adams) both of operatic magnificence and painful delicacy.