★★★★★
Following the lives of four sisters, Amy, Jo, Beth and Meg, as they come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War. Though all very different from each other, the March sisters stand by each other through difficult and changing times.
Classification: U
What a picture.
My God what a picture. You're left floored by Little Women, in its expert pacing, performance, scripting, direction and all-around abundance of love and aspiration as this film takes you on an incredible journey into this beautiful sisterhood and the unstoppable potential that all women have. Executed with such skill and grace you think that the latest adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's seminal novel would be the work of a seasoned professional at the artistic peak in their career and you know what? you'd be right. Even though it's only her second feature film as a director, Greta Gerwig absolutely obliterates the expectations set for her after her acclaimed debut with Lady Bird and makes Little Women a film that completely enamours her greatest fans and easily converts her foolish doubters. This is a classic story reinvigorated, made fresh with a modern sensibility but without losing an iota of its charm or glamour as the ensemble cast Gerwig has assembled to bring this beautiful film to life, honours the characters and themes that have enraptured so many.
The March sisters; Jo, Beth, Amy and Meg, four sisters who have captured the imaginations and hearts of readers and viewers for generations are incredibly performed in this film especially Saoirse Ronan's confident, fiery tom-boy Jo and Florence Pugh's immature, vain but artistically hopeful Amy. The whole cast is stacked, overflowing with insane talent, Laura Dern! Meryl Streep! Chris Cooper! Tracy Letts! Bob Odenkirk! (when Odenkirk walks into the March home after returning injured from the civil war to be enthusiastically embraced by his loving daughters, he lovingly utters "my little women" and you can feel your soul ascend to the fucking stratosphere from pure joy alone, the entire cast of this film is such a heartwarming delight). What makes the ensemble of these veterans so impressive is that Gerwig never uses them as a crutch for the younger performers, she has such a skill in making Ronan, Pugh and Timothée Chalamet electrify the screen with their chemistry all on their own it's just a bonus that Streep or Letts get to share the spotlight from time to time.
Little Women is a film of love and romance and so much of that is felt through the gorgeous cinematography, production and costume design and the intimate score from Alexandre Desplat. Complete immersion into this spell of a film and it's all so delightful yet heartbreaking, renewing you with a newfound passion for your family and life. The film through all four sisters explores the notions of a woman's place in the world and their worth beyond what can be imagined for them especially at the cusp of a changing America. Jo wants to be a writer, Amy an artist, however, Meg is content with being a wife and mother and Beth wishes to live her life by spreading kindness. These aspirations are tied directly into the sisterly bonds between the characters as the rhythm of the actors gives such fidelity and life to their interactions. The idea that women are more than just things to be married off and be the accessories of unexemplary men is the core to Little Women, that this veracity and ingenuity are not exclusive to any one woman and that love, profession, imagination and independence are all possibilities to life and no woman is the same. Jo's dreams for her sister's futures are not the same as Meg's, Beth wants a different life from Amy, everyone wants something different for each other whether it be love and happiness or successes and fortune but the film is all about the characters and specifically Jo learning that their destiny is their own path to define. This path, however, does not have to be travelled alone, Jo's hardheaded independence is not the key to her success but in embracing and celebrating the love around her, through the March's, the Laurence's, and most importantly that connection to each of her sisters.
The rivalries between Amy and Jo both romantically and professionally form some drama but Little Women never delves into ridiculous soap opera theatrics despite the childish antics of the March sisters. The key to this is the veracity in the performances of Ronan and Pugh and the nonlinear editing structure showing how all the characters have changed over the years, those unknown to the book curious what the cataclysm event that seemed to have torn the sisters apart. Gerwig wisely takes the two volumes of Alcott's book and weaves them together, having past inform present and vice versa allowing for the tragedy of memory to take over. The happiness of the past heavily contrasted with the bleakness of the present; the dreams of yesterday have not blossomed as Jo and the others had hoped. In their tragedies and depressions, however, there is never the absence of love or hope these bonds between the characters are what makes Little Women so inspiring and optimistic, perseverance in the face of great obstacles supported by those that love you.
For a cast this talented Pugh probably gets the edge over everyone for how she displays Amy's transformation from youthful immaturity to a more sensible driven young woman. You feel the difference of character greatly between the two timelines as Pugh's performance in the flashbacks is hilarious as she navigates Amy between the fine line of childish and annoying. The scene of Chalamet's Laurie finding Amy crying outside his house, or when Amy pursues Jo and Laurie with ice skates being gut-wrenchingly funny. Whether its jealous spite towards Jo or attention-seeking behaviour when in scenes with the ensemble, Pugh makes Amy's transformation just as striking as Jo's as her scenes of the character in Europe have shown a real growth as her desires of becoming an artist leave her uncertain of what her future could be. Amy's arc is one of the many developments Gerwig improves upon with this new story structure, showing the versatility of her actors and the characters. The storyline of Beth's illness, Jo and Laurie's romance, and Professor Bhaer are all given greater effect in how Gerwig and editor Nick Houy can allow recontextualization to give these moments greater impact.
The storyline of Jo March and especially her will they won't they romance with Laurie is absolutely captivating. If you're not on the Timothée Chalamet train yet Little Women is the one to do it as his performance as dashing, troubled romantic lead Laurie is amazing and the energy of the film is increased tenfold whenever he shares the screen with Saoirse Ronan. Ronan's performance as Jo March is marvellous, captivating, and driving this film forward with such force that you are left in such awe from her character's righteous spirit and when paired against the intensity of Chalamet why it's possible if you're watching the film on 35mm your projector could ignite. It is absolutely magnetic watching these two performers dance around each other, literally and emotionally as Ronan and Chalamet deliver a romantic journey to make a bitter cynic's heart swoon. Jo and Laurie are one of those couples whose love burns like the sun, so bright and encompassing it would consume everything in its path, that the audience knows that its impossible for them to find true happiness within one another. Not only from Gerwig's structuring of the story but in how Little Women wants to tell a larger story that happiness resides beyond the soul of a romantic partner. Jo doesn't need Laurie to feel fulfilled, the same might not be able to be said about Laurie but their endearing courtship speaks to the beautiful melancholy nature of the March's past. Gerwig effectively captures that feeling of yearning for your hopeful youth, when you felt the world was yours for the taking, those secret moments that made your heart soar with love and glee, the girl that took your breath away and made everything finally make sense.
Little Women, a film that will make your soul sing, a journey of growth, loss and love that transports you into this realm of emotional wonder that grips you from beginning to end. Even the misogyny of it all is seemingly good-natured, you expect Chris Cooper to be a cantankerous old man who despises the annoyance of the Marsh girls invading his home but just like the audience is immediately smitten by the pure enthusiasm in which this wonderful family lives their life. Letts who plays the unimpressed Mr Dashwood, Jo's publisher doesn't doubt Jo solely based on her gender is or put her down or refuse to work with her, he seems to respect her intelligence but also acknowledges the reality of the unequal gender parity of the world. That's how Gerwig frames the feminism of Little Women, that women like Jo can change the world but the act in itself doesn't have to be a martyrous crusade against everyone, Dashwood may not see the true value to Jo's work but that doesn't mean he can't help her make her mark, we can all work together to make this a better world.
The potential of a person, every person is what makes Little Women so enamouring in its messaging of optimism and kindness, it never shies away from the heartaches of life but Gerwig gracefully combines the two to show how rich this whole existence can be. Life is pain but wonder all at once and if you're lucky even the most ordinary of circumstance shall give you the most amazing gifts of family and love. Gerwig and her team deliver something absolutely breathtaking, a miraculous awe takes hold of you, leaving the film with the undeniable urge to hug your mother, sisters or daughters, to make every little woman you've ever known feel larger than life solely because they are.
Director: #GretaGerwig
Cast: #SaoirseRonan, #EmmaWatson, #FlorencePugh, #ElizaScanlen, #LauraDern, #TimothéeChalamet, #MerylStreep, #TracyLetts, #BobOdenkirk, #JamesNorton, #LouisGarrel, #ChrisCooper
Release Date: December 26th 2019
Trailer:
Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database
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