Little Women – Review

Little Women

Directed by: Greta Gerwig

Runtime: 135 minutes

In some films, you are happy relaxing back in your semi-comfortable cinema seat as explosions, action, and big CGI robots consume your senses. These films are a particular brand of guilty pleasure; you watch them when you want entertainment first, things to think about later. While I will always argue there is some merit to these films (I, for one, watched Hellboy while incredibly tired and gave it one of the only positive reviews on the internet), there is another brand of guilty pleasure for me—beautifully shot, period pieces with witty women, dashing men, and heart-warming romance. Little Women is one of these films.

Little Women legitimises the female escapist film without taking away from the source material’s warm, gooey centre. Watching this film felt like drinking a hot chocolate on an Autumn day. Following the tales of four sisters, Jo (Saorise Ronan), Amy (Florence Pugh), Meg (Emma Watson), and Beth (Eliza Scanlen), Little Women is a story that has been adapted eight times for film, once for a YouTube series, and had a Friends episode about it. The film adaptation finds itself more interested in the themes of the novel than the actual plot, and this is a very good move—by telling the tale through a flashback structure, we become less tired by the passage of long periods of time throughout.

The performances are excellent; Ronan, in particular, is becoming one of my favourite actresses working at the moment—I just find her genuine and watchable. Timothée Chalamet brings an almost manic charisma with his portrayal of the ever-friendzoned Laurie, and Florence Pugh excellently captured the character development of Amy. Essentially, I liked watching the people on screen, therefore I cared about the characters (and in a film like this, that’s the most necessary aspect of the production). Gerwig’s direction was also a highlight of the film; the backgrounds were lush and beautiful, and she has a knack for allowing the smaller moments of human interaction shine on screen.

Little Women is a film that feels empowering, while also feeling quaint. It’s quiet treatment of female issues, alongside themes of artistic ambition and the trials of life feels truly genuine. This is the ideal film for a rainy afternoon, best viewed with a cup tea in hand and a warm blanket surrounding you. There is a reason Little Women has remained in the cultural consciousness for two centuries—and this film showcases the tale’s relevance, even to this day.