Greta Gerwig tackles an old favorite and gives her own touch in this latest adaptation of Little Women.
Period pieces often are slow-moving, for sake of touching on the different characters in an orderly fashion. This is where Gerwig seemed to change it up. Using scenes as flashbacks and different color filters (subtly) to distinguish the different times, this movie jumps between the past and present to tell this lovely story of the March sisters. Indeed, it is a risk, because it could confuse viewers and lose them in the process. The good, however, is that it invites the viewer to pay attention and it keeps the story interesting, as opposed to a straightforward chronological beginning to end.
This is one of the best ensembles of 2019. Everyone impacts. Saoirse Ronan gives another fantastic lead performance under Gerwig's direction. Florence Pugh continues to show why she is likely the top working actress of 2019. Emma Watson and Eliza Scanlen gave lovely emotional performances and all the way down to Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern, and Meryl Streep were terrific.
This writing is as clever as you can imagine in a Greta Gerwig film. It conveys a powerful message about the strength of women and deciding their own fate and the struggles on the way to such freedom. It's a rightful message that needs to be heard and it's resonant to this day.
My score: ★★★½
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