REVIEW — “Little Women”

Long Live Greta Gerwig

Little Women is written and directed by Greta Gerwig and stars Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Chris Cooper, and Meryl Streep. It tells the story of the March sisters in 1860s New England, in the aftermath of the American Civil War. They face trials and tribulations including struggles with romance and sickness that threaten the family dynamic. Merry Christmas Gang! Little Women is an absolutely delightful period piece witch pitch-perfect acting and even warmer direction. It’s one to see folks.

Greta Gerwig is behind the wheel here and she absolutely crushes it. She approaches this material with the same energy and warmth present in her previous effort but she’s also got a grand sense of scale and theme. Little Woman is a BIG movie, noticeably bigger than her Lady Bird, and she absolutely kills it. She is confident in her direction and not once falls under the pressure of a narrative this size. Gerwig has somewhat stayed in the smaller indie market, but her style fits perfectly here. There is such a warmth to this story and her touch can be felt in every aspect of the film. While she’s working with some amazing source material, this is by far the best adaptation of this story. She can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned. I’ll be waiting patiently for her next project.

The incredibly impressive cast all deliver fantastic performances. It would be redundant for me to say they all do a great job. Chris Cooper made me cry. I love Timmy. Laura Dern is the greatest of all time. Meryl is stunning as usual. I lost my mind when Bob Odenkirk showed up. They’re all just fantastic, but the star really is Florence Pugh. She steals every single scene she is in. I was blown away with her performance in Midsommar earlier this year, but her work here might be better. She is funny, sympathetic, mischievous and compelling all in one grand swing. On a technical level, Little Woman is fantastic. The score is one of my favorites of the year, and the cinematography is gorgeous. The editing is once again stylish and full of personality. Everything here is just wonderful.

In a year full of incredible films, Little Woman snuck in right at the end and really stole my heart. It’s not one to forget about and it’s most certainly one to see. I would trust Greta with my children. 5/5