Directed by: Greta Gerwig
Release date: December 25th, 2019
Rating: 9/10
Based on the bestselling book, Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig, follows the March sisters along their journey through life. Each of the sisters are different and have their own ideas about how to live their lives. We follow them through love and loss and struggle after struggle.
I was never interested in Little Women, the book, and I didn’t think that I would enjoy the movie very much. I thought it would be something that I would get bored at and forget about a few days after seeing it. That is not the case. Little Women manages to be entertaining, interesting, and fun. A big part of that comes from the cast.
Everyone in this film does a great job but I think the standout is Saoirse Ronan. Ronan plays Jo March, the main character who, in the context of the book and the movie, writes the book. Jo is sort of the tomboy of the family and struggles with breaking expectations for women back then, especially the idea of marriage, while also dealing with feelings for the neighbor boy (Timothée Chalamet). Not only Ronan shines though, everyone gets their own moment to shine and everyone does a fantastic job. Especially going between time jumps.
This movie tells its story non-linearly. I would call them flashbacks, but the scenes that go back in time are more extended than an average flashback. Either way this movie goes back and forth, showing sequences from several years earlier, then jumping back to present-day. It sounds like it would be confusing and hard to follow, but thanks to both the color grading and the acting from the cast, it’s actually pretty seamless. The past sequences tend to be more warmly lit and bright, as this is when the family is together and, for the most part, happy. Whereas the present day tends to be lit more coldly with blue overtones, since all the sisters have gone their separate ways. The March sisters also do a great job at selling this as they are more childish during the past and more mature during the present. It’s subtle enough to notice the difference, but not so different that it seems like the maturity comes out of nowhere.
The costume design is also amazing. Each of the characters have their own style and it’s reflected in multiple outfits. Even the background characters are wearing such extravagant costumes that are representative of high society at the time.
Little Women is a great film and a feel good time at the movies. The non-linear storytelling really emphasizes the parallels between the past and present, all while being easy to follow. The costume design is exceptional and definitely worthy of awards. The cast does a fantastic job and Great Gerwig has made yet another fantastic film.