Little Women (2019)

Directed by Greta Gerwig
Starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet & Meryl Streep

Greta Gerwig’s 2017 film Ladybird saw the first time director receive immediate acclaim. In part, that film has helped shape how female directors have been received by both Hollywood and audiences since. By setting such a large benchmark for herself, Gerwig needed to follow up strong with her second film; the seventh adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. When it was first announced, I was confused on the route Gerwig had decided to take but in finally seeing the film, it makes perfect sense. Just as Ladybird was heavily angled as a modern feminist piece, Little Women is an extension of the same ideals albeit set during the Civil War.

Little Women follows the story of four teenaged sisters who experience both love and sadness post the American Civil War. Set between 1861 and 1868, the film follows the lead actresses from child to adulthood using flashback-forward devices and explores the roles of women and the ongoing feministic shifts in attitude at the time. Gerwig reunites with Saoirse Ronan who portrays Jo, the hard-working feministic sister who strives to be a novelist to provide for her family. Her sisters include Emma Watson, an actress more interested in marriage, Florence Pugh, an aspiring artist, and Eliza Scanlen, the youngest as well as a musician. While this set-up is interesting, the film took a good half an hour to draw me in. However, once the story began to pick up steam, I became thoroughly invested and was glued to the screen.

The acting amongst the large cast is exceptional, with several standout performances. Ronan once again proves herself to be one of the best actresses working today and is a shining focal point amongst a sea of talented people. However, the film is stolen by Pugh and Timothée Chalamet who have great onscreen chemistry, provide subtle and witty humour and manage to extend their characters outside of the bratty sister and lead love interest archetypes in a fulfilling manner. Meryl Streep is extremely memorable, despite limited screen time, as the older, bitchy and resentful aunt. Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen and Laura Dern provide strong performances as well, even if their characters are less memorable than others.

The presentation of the time period and the level of detail in creating an engaging world is impressive. The costumes and set design have been thoroughly crafted and really help the film’s two different time periods feel distinct from one another. Yorick Le Saux’s cinematography perfectly catches the ever-changing emotions in the sister’s lives through his usage of warm oranges and harsh icy blues and it is a shame he will go unrecognised for it at the Oscars this year.

Gerwig’s implementation of flashback-forward devices to switch between the two time periods is executed solidly for the most part. There are several sequences in which it is hard to determine which period the scene is in causing slight confusion. Certain character motivations are also somewhat difficult to decipher due to the constant time shifting; especially Timothée Chalamet’s character. The pacing of the film is great overall but suffers within individual scenes early in the first half. When all four sisters are on screen, the interactions between them are so fast paced that dialogue becomes muddled and hard to follow. This becomes less of an issue later on allowing for the cast to relax and really set into the roles.

Little Women, despite some shortcomings, is a really good second feature for Greta Gerwig. The story is extremely engaging for a period drama and truly sells itself on its excellent cast and technical aspects. Gerwig’s personal touches on familiar source material help the adaptation stand out from previous and proves she will be a director to watch in the next decade.

7/10