Little Women 2019

Little women 2019

I pretty much adored it. Smooth, graceful and gorgeous. It has a lovely flow that goes back and forth in 19^th century time as the now familiar March sisters grow, change and fall in and out of love. There are lovely moments throughout and the framing of the scenes are beautiful, a marriage proposal from a distance in a lovely formal garden, a swirling dance, (there are actually a few of those), a delectable food laden Christmas morning table, Jo running with joy through the 19^th century New York City streets after she gets her first story sold, a dream of one of the characters recovering from an illness, another sister falling through the ice. Gerwig has a great eye and a strong sense of setups both minimal and packed to the rafters. The cast is impeccable with the great Saoirse Ronan (I need a yearly dose of this actress) giving another memorable performance. Also notable is the breakout young British actress Florence Pugh (with a name like that she had better be wonderful and she is) who should have a great career after this turn and I will forgive her for the unfortunate Midsommer. Gerwig directs with charm and perfect insight taking an often told and familiar tale and giving it a breath of fresh air. The look of the film helps and the attention to detail is lovely but not overwhelming. The cast besides Ronan and Pugh are also fine and marvelous with standouts being the great stage actress Jayne Houdyshell   as the loving and adorable housekeeper, Laura Dern as Marme and Emma Watson as the sensible sister who marries for love with the handsome James Naughton of Grandchester fame, and Eliza Scanlen as Beth the youngest of the sisters.  Eye candy and talented Timothee Chalamet plays the much sought after and kind neighbor Teddy Laurence who is affectionally nicknamed Laurie and longs for Jo. Also popping up is Meryl Streep aged like an old stale crumpet stealing and chewing up the scenery a subdued Chris Cooper as the grandfather of Laurie and the saving angel of the March’s, and the French actor Louis Garrel as the smitten French professor in love with Jo.  The casting of the father played by Bob Odenkirk might have been a mistake, the audience made knowing coos and ahhs when he appeared. oh isn't he the guy from Better Call Saul, but this is hardly an important criticism. The fast ending might seem like a bit too much, overwhelming in its sentimentality but not totally uncalled for. The fake news about the movie not appealing to men, is well fake, at least in my part of the woods. The audience I saw it with a few weekends ago at the BAM in Brooklyn at a sold out afternoon showing was made up of many men, and when leaving the screening I overheard a young man say to his female companion “I could have watched it forever”. One of the best films of the year.