Little Women

A cinema visit to Little Women took me nostalgically back to my high school days at the mall. The full theater with only two men in it, or the lending of tissues between rows from the middle of the movie on reminded me again of the beauty of the collective cinematic experience that Netflix just can't give you. As for the film, it could probably get by with the fantastic performances from Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh alone, whose characters breathe with such life and energy that they redeem even a few of those Jehovah's Witness scenes full of Christmas tables, gifting the poor, and other kilos of goodness like a children’s book. Still, Greta Gerwig has chosen to break the entire two books into different episodes, which she stacks on top of each other, albeit without chronology, but in such a way that the events contained within them ideally have the strongest possible impact in terms of our moment-to-moment connection with a particular character. On several occasions we witness dialogue whose importance is revealed to us a scene later, which takes place either several years before or after the dialogue. Underneath all the liveliness, then, there is actually a clockwork that successfully tries to sell us, with the strongest possible impact, the most important personal moments in the lives of several characters. And it's quite possible that with a standard narrative, the film wouldn't have had such a strong impact. (02/17/2020)

Through the avalanche of girls chirping and shouting, Little Women shot for sincere deeds, plot twists, or surprised tears. I sensed that the sought-after adaptation might enchant me, but that it would be a versatile spectacle that would soften the hearts of even the most hardened is a surprise of the most pleasant kind. Moreover, the entire cast is perfectly cast, and I would love to see them in all the upcoming costume dramas. This is, after all, a mutual chemistry that comes along once in a generation. (02/07/2020)

The 1994 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel impressed me a little more than this movie directed by Greta Gerwig. Nevertheless, I cannot deny the movie's impressive portrayal of the atmosphere of a bygone era, its excellent cast and the acting performances. The costume design is also undoubtedly praiseworthy. But to be honest, I don't really understand the source of the general fascination with this romantic story, which I always found rather boring. (65%) (04/15/2023)

Beautiful film, really beautiful. There are so many moments in it that other filmmakers would use in other films to try at least to move me or completely blow me away, but Greta Gerwig doesn't need to. Everything in the Marches' story was meant to have an effect on me, and yet I still had that satisfied feeling. It wasn't overly melancholy, it wasn't extra sad, it wasn't tragic. It was just beautiful. As for the cast, as expected, Saoirse Ronan absolutely reigns and is once again amazing in every minute, however I was surprised by Emma Watson, who made a real impression on me for perhaps the first time since Harry Potter. (02/16/2020)

This film’s greatest asset is the excellent casting of young, talented actresses who don’t yet cost as much as Scarlett Johansson, but can achieve at least the same girl-power when they work as a team. And, representing the older generation, Laura Dern and Meryl complement them nicely. It is literally a pleasure to watch all of these young ladies enjoying their characters and the beloved “girlish” material. They are just glad that they can be a part of it. I suppose Greta Gerwig also deserves credit for that, as she loves actors and has a talent for this kind of emotional storytelling. I actually dreaded it, and thus I was touched by it all the more. This is pure cinematic romanticism with an open heart. The chronological jumps in the story were confusing in places, but that didn’t have any effect on the emotional experience. Supporting actor Tracy Letts has had a great year, with his portrayal of a book publisher here to go along with the glowing role of Henry Ford II in Ford v Ferrari. (02/02/2020)