Little Women was a film I was excited for when I heard Greta Gerwig was attached to the project. I knew then this wouldn't just be another adaption of a novel but be something pretty new. This is Greta's sophomoric effort after directing Lady Bird which was absolutely delightful. I believe she has outdone herself with Little Women. This movie is just wonderful. I loved every single minute of it.
What Greta Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbach have perfected is the mumblecore genre. Mumblecore is essentially the idea of making a smaller film that is more dialogue focused and sounds more realistic then written. With the extravagance and wealth of period piece dramas I figured that type of idea would clash here but it doesn't. The film has a really good ear for what girls this age sounded and looked like around this time. I loved the way this film subverted what period pieces are usually all about. It's the perfect aihtetistst to the likes of Downtown Abbey or even last years The Favorite. I've never found the royalty part of the period pieces to be interesting. Little Women are about four girls discovering themselves in a really troubling time after the Civil War.
I've written about it a lot here but I love stories that end up being more character oriented then plot oriented. Little Women is a nice slice of life film you can just wrap yourself up in. It's so nice, lovely and pure. I've needed coziness lately and seeing this in theaters was truly a blessing. There's genuine emotion showing in every single sequence but also just a sense of seeing the world in a lush way.
The production design and the aesthetic of Little Women is perfect. It feels like looking into a snow globe. Every time they could put something into this movie to make it feel even cozier they did. The cinematography is also amazing. Lady Bird was a smaller film that did a lot with its shots, but the way Greta went from directing that to THIS is really impressive. While this isn't like a big blockbuster movie or anything- it just feels kinda epic in scope. Like we are experiencing these lives and how they have transformed over time and the hopes and desires these girls have.
Speaking of which, that is truly what shines here. All of these characters I find very close to my heart. Joi is an aspiring author trying to get her book published. Her journey of wanting to focus on her work and be independent vs wanting to be loved by someone was a really poignant thing. By the time her story started to wrap up the tears started to flow because it was just so genuine and honest. Amy, Meg and Beth also have their own great arcs as characters and I appreciated the fact the film was able to have them all grow and you saw the relationship they had with one another. It made scenes of emotional intensity and good will resonate SO much more if a film takes its time with its characters.
There's never a point in this movie where they say "THIS IS JOI, SHE IS A WRITER AND A WOMAN WHO DONT NEED NO MAN" or "THIS IS AMY SHE IS A PAINTER IN LOVE WITH A BOY". That would have been obvious and treated the audience stupidly. Everything plays off in this movie in such a lowkey way and as the story develops you continue to learn the these girls are so much more then just "aspiring artist".
That was one of my favorite aspects of the film. I love movies like Marriage Story and La La Land showing how wanting to make good art can sacrifice the relationships someone has in their life. Little Women shows this as well. Sometimes the search for independence, while a very healthy thing can leave you lonely. There's so much to take away from this film and learn and I'm glad a movie that is a family movie actually takes its audience seriously. This is one I will happily show my kids one day and maybe they will not understand it at first but one day they will discover the true emotional catharsis of the whole film.
This movie plays out as a giant expectations vs reality sequence from 500 Days of Summer but even better then that. The way the film juxtaposes actual events from what we see in the book is quite wonderful and really daring. It doesn't spooned you when and what takes place and it makes the film really interesting to watch. This could have been done terribly bland but it gives film new life when you try to place it in a timeline.
I just love this movie to death. It's one I'm sure to revisit so many times in the future. I love it when a movie can make my heart feel that warm. I'd say this is entirely the opposite reaction to Uncut Gems. It's funny thy are both coming out the same weekend because one is a brutal, distant and cold experience and Little Women is a delightful, fluffy, emotional and cathartic experience that will stay with you long after its over. This is another one I wanna write in more depth when I can spoil specific moments that will forever stay with me. Including an incredible match cut involving a staircase that made me bawl in the cinema.
