If Film Twitter were the ones to find the magical genie lamp from Aladdin and use its power to make a movie, chances are 2019’s Little Women is something close to what we would get. After a 2 year wait since debuting with Lady Bird back in 2017, Greta Gerwig is back in the director’s seat bringing yet another retelling of the classic story so many grew up with.
Josephine March (Saoirse Ronan) is an aspiring writer living in New York City, who is struggling to find her place in the industry. Once her sister Elizabeth (Eliza Scanlen) falls sick though she is forced to return to her family home which brings up memories from her past. From jealousy of her sister Amy (Florence Pugh) to unresolved conflict with her best friend named Laurie (Timothée Chalamet), Josephine must come to terms with her emotions from the past and finds that where they can be difficult to understand they also can serve as a source of inspiration.
The first thing to probably stick out to anyone about this film would have to be the absolutely A+ cast it builds. The sheer list of incredible actors this film lines up is nothing short of impressive. Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep, and Bob Odenkirk all hold roles in this film and all deliver greatly. Not only do they all give well-crafted performances from an acting standpoint, but the screenplay gives each of the layers and events to chew on. None of these actors are simply allowed to phone in their performance (not that they would anyway), each one plays a dynamic and important character that is each memorable in their own unique way.
If there was one standout in the group it would have to be Ronan, who turns in possibly some of her most passionate and emotional work of her career up to this point. Her character is rough and brash, constantly pissing off those around her, while maintaining a loveable side to her that makes her universally liked but she is also deep. Especially towards the end of the film, we see her insecurities and struggles come to light. This is not an invincible character who doesn’t care what anyone else thinks, but rather is much more complex and well-rounded thanks to the screenplay which also comes from Gerwig.
The emotional power from those around her is also unbelievable at points. Florence Pugh impressed many with her work in Midsommar and where there definitely are elements of her character that some will find annoying and off-putting, for the most part. Especially when focusing on later in Amy’s life I found the inspired emotional complexity of her character and her performance really stood out here. Emma Watson also has such a genuine care for what she is saying that also stands out against her filmography.
Where I can’t say this is going to stick out in the older actors filmography as much as these still newer and young actors, Laura Dern especially demands to be seen in this. She is getting the majority of her awards season attention for her work in Marriage Story as a divorce lawyer named Nora yet honestly this should be the role she is getting recognized for. The subtle emotions she is able to show as a mother trying to create the best life for her family despite financial hardship really struck a chord with the audience and is one of the best emotional plot points in the entire film.
Where the emotions hit hard, the laughs hit equally as hard, this is much more where characters like Aunt March (Meryl Streep) make their impact felt. But even when mostly played for comedy characters like her are allowed to add something to the overall conversation this film builds, carving a space for themselves in the screenplay that adds something to the story never feeling like unneeded filler of space.
Those thematic elements that the film dives in to and builds its core thesis exploring are what give this film it’s emotional punch. Saoirse Ronan’s incredible monologue could be seen in the trailer but that is just one example of the actors giving their entire emotions over to the beautifully crafted screenplay that this movie embraces. Gerwig gives some breathtaking moments of dialogue specifically around the idea of marriage which I have never quite seen explored as well as this film does. Especially at this time period marriage was an act of sacrifice for women becoming property to their husbands not able to own their own property or money.
This film calls out how much of an emotional turmoil this can cause, but also doesn’t just blindly condemn it with characters. Like Meg played by Emma Watson who does not see this as a sacrifice and finds a husband she loves. There is a back and forth here on what happiness and true freedom means that is deeply engaging and never feels too preachy, while also never feeling like it is trying to mute itself from judgment.
It is a fiery movie that is mature enough to channel its fire into a well crafted and meaningful conversation. It also helps that this conversation is being had mostly between family. Sure there are fights and at the end of the day, these are sisters who care deeply for each other and want nothing but the best for each other. This is pushed and tested throughout the film, but it provides an emotional spine that couldn’t come from any other dynamic.
Where the people in front of the camera are nothing but pure talent, the people behind the camera equally impress. Gerwig again impressed greatly as both a writer and director, bringing a clear passion and care for the story she is building.
Alexandre Desplat continues his streak of being one of the most impressive and prolific composers of the decade. Nearly every major project he works on turns out to be pure magic. And where he does play with the traditional expectations you would come to a period piece with he is able to put his own spin on the score making it distinctly his.
The same can be said for the costumes by Jacqueline Durran. Where she plays within the realm of the standard dresses and suits you would expect in a film like this, they are still breathtaking with especially her use of color standing out.
The only technical element of this film that did not fully work was the editing. Towards the very beginning of the film, the jumping between years can be a bit jarring, you quickly grow accustomed to the transitions and come to understand what is happening. The ending stretch of this film though adds a level of meta that did nothing to further the story or impact of it and really does make the actual plot of this film end up feeling confusing, taking away from the emotional impact they spent the runtime building. It was completely unneeded and was the single puzzling piece of the film that never found a justification or reason for existing.
Coming as the 8th adaptation of the classic novel that so many grew up with, it might be hard to imagine that 2019’s Little Women would become something special – but it really is. Not only did Greta Gerwig bring a clear passion to her work with the film, but so did all the cast and crew. You can tell that the people behind every aspect of this movie legitimately cared about what they were putting out with this film, and delivered not just one of the most technically proficient films of the year, but one of the most emotionally charged.
Little Women is a movie that is going to hit its target audience hard, if you are someone captivated by the trailer or cast behind the film this is essential holiday viewing. Don’t let the sadly muted awards response to this movie fool you, it is up there with the best from 2019 and was one of the best times I have had in a theater all year long. Long live the Little Women Warriors!
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