Little Women

With the cast of a lifetime, Greta Gerwig shines in her adaptation of the classic tale of Little Women. It proves to be a solid period-piece drama yet stands alone from its competition by being watchable and entertaining. I have not read the book or seen any of the other adaptations. My mom, on the other hand, has told me time and time again that she is not a fan of the story. Both of my parents were not fans of this film, but for me personally, seeing the story for the first time with this production was definitely the best way to experience it.

Greta Gerwig is a fantastic director. I am hoping she gets nominated for the Oscar, but after her snub for the Golden Globes the odds are slim. It is a tough year to be recognized as a director, especially a rising female director, when both Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese came out with films this year. Adding Sam Mendes and Bong Joon Ho just makes it nearly impossible—though I do believe Greta Gerwig is better than Joker’s director Todd Phillips. Her use of color and nature in this film is rooted in heart, and the narrative pulse is felt beating through every shot. She knows when to let a scene breathe, rising the diegetic soundscape (sound effects) as it washes over the audience. She knows exactly when to use music and when to use silence, a skill most directors blow past to offer easy excitement. Even if she does not get nominated, she has proven herself to be a director worth seeing.

The best part of this film is the cast. Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, and Timothée Chalamet are just the supporting cast, while the four daughters truly make their own spotlight. Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlen give breathtaking performances because they are all impressive as individuals, but resonate even more together to create an actual bond with the audience. There are scenes where Jo and Beth are simply hugging each other on the beach, and you feel like you are in the sand holding on to them. These four actresses lift you from your seat and transport you into their lives.

The past memories sprinkled through the runtime glow in their own nostalgic joy; the film makes its own nostalgia in Civil-War America and it is fully realized. The editing of these scenes with the present narrative work beautifully, maximizing the love from the girls’ pasts with the struggles of their current problems. The juxtaposition multiplies the effect. The use of color ensures the audience understands where they are in the timeline, offering seamless transitions with just the slightest shift in shadows and saturation. It gives the weight of the daughters’ narrative ghosts, how their childhood has faded away and what is left are fragments. The color and editing contribute more to the story than cheap exposition and text could ever do: it gives emotion and drama to the telling of the story.

Superficially, this film is the annual high-class “period piece.” The cinematography and music are pretentious and artsy, the framing is beautiful but only to fit in the colonial architecture and fancy dresses, and here is always a flirtatious dance scene to highlight the chivalry of yesteryear. It is all in this film. There are probably a handful of cinematographers and production crews that know how to shoot a period-film drama, and Greta Gerwig hired them to offer a dazzling visual for her adaptation, but really it offers little to the story. There are specific shots that Greta Gerwig definitely took over in order to create emotion, but most of the time there is little influence on screen—especially the music. The music rises and falls at the precise moment they need to, but the notes are completely empty. It is baffling how underutilized the music is when one of the daughter's gifts is music. Beth’s ability to play the piano is highlighted in very dramatic ways, but as soon as the music comes in I felt no different from the chords. The camera work is brilliant, and many shots are heart wrenching, but the majority of the framing and music scream your basic period drama stereotypes.

Overall, this film should be this year’s big Oscar bait film, but it got little to no attention at the Golden Globes. We will have to wait for the nominations to see where this film lands compared to the tough competition of Indie films this year. For her second film directing, Greta Gerwig is proving to be brilliant. Timothée Chalamet is my favorite young actor as he radiates charisma, and Saoirse Ronan is always fantastic. Emma Watson was a delight to see outside of Harry Potter, and the rest of the cast deserves their own standing ovation. The story is adapted beautifully with editing and color, and apart from the usual quirks of a period-piece drama, this film stands apart as a wonderful story about growing up, family, and the societal crutch of marriage.

Story Rating: 8/10

Character Rating: 7/10