Little Women was my most anticipated movie of the year because I loved Lady Bird so much, and Greta Gerwig delivers in a massive way with this recreation. This classic novel has been adapted into three other movies not including this one.
What Greta Gerwig is able to do here is modernize the story, and at least for me makes audiences feel more connected to the story and the characters than ever before. We feel everything that they’re going through and sympathize with each and every one of them. It’s one of the most charming movies I’ve seen.
The performances in this film are off the charts and everyone delivers massively. Saoirse Ronan as Jo and Florence Pugh as Amy are my two favorites. They are given this amazing game of give and take and they produce such depth and handle the range amazingly in their characters.
Gerwig is able to sprinkle little bits of emotion all throughout the movie and because of this, little by little you connect with each character and as things become more serious you can feel the mood in yourself change as well.
Even though the movie has a long run time of two and a half hours, it never feels like it’s dragging because you’re so invested with these women and what’s happening to them. The film really makes old material and settings feel so real and relevant and that’s an amazing thing to do since this movie takes place during the Civil War.
One of the most amazing things about this movie is that anyone can see aspects of themselves if not in one character, every character. Like I said it feels so relevant without taking away from the time period it takes place in and that’s credit to Gerwig’s directorial ability to bring in old style with a modern twist.
Saoirse Ronan creates a Jo that’s relatable and someone we all would want to be friends with. She’s someone who has one of the biggest hearts in the movie, but is also so resilient and tough. Florence Pugh as Amy is just spectacular. I cannot say enough about her performance, and she creates the best evolution of a character in the movie. We see her go from this whiney, immature, child to a mature and extremely thoughtful women. That to me it’s credited to her sisters and the women in her life and only strengthens that connection we feel between them all.
I obviously love this movie and think that Gerwig has grown so much and so quickly since Lady Bird, but I have to say that I enjoy Lady Bird just a little bit more. All of that being said Little Women is still a masterpiece.
There is so much to love about this film, it’s beautifully shot, performed, and the story is elevated to an entirely new level. It’s really masterful filmmaking and even though it isn’t an original story it feels completely new because of the way that it’s done, and that’s an amazing feat.
Little Women is a revival that breathes new life into a classic novel and makes it more relevant than I thought it could be. The movie is filled with so many memorable moments and in my opinion makes it the best movie of 2019.
I give Little Women an A+
