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Movie Review: Little Women

Mike Tyrkus

Given that there have been myriad adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s classic tome, Little Women, including (but not limited to) the heralded George Cukor classic from 1933 as well as Gillian Armstrong’s equally impressive interpretation in 1994—it’s surprising that a new take on the tale from writer/director Greta Gerwig would feel so fresh and new. But that’s exactly what this remarkable filmmaker has delivered with her second feature.

Gerwig infuses the tale of the March sisters coming of age in Civil War-era America with an updated story-telling style that effortlessly blends elements of the original beloved text. Told in a unique non-linear fashion, the story can seem confusing at times (such as when a character leaves via one side of a room only to re-enter on the other side of that same room months, or possibly even years, later in one fluid sequence), but once compensated for and then expected, the effect only adds to the aesthetic at play in this uniquely heartfelt and effective film. Given Gerwig’s impressive directorial debut with Lady Bird (2017), this singular adaption of a much-adored classic suggests that great things will continue to pour from this obviously gifted filmmaker.

Anchoring Gerwig’s film is Saorise Ronan as Alcott’s Jo March. It is though this remarkable actress (who also turned in a tour de force performance in Gerwig’s aforementioned Lady Bird) that the saga of the March sisters unfolds. Jo’s sisters: the shy Beth (Eliza Scanlen); immature and vindictive Amy (Florence Pugh); and conventional Meg (Emma Watson) all try to maintain a relatively intact universe along with their mother, Marmee (Laura Dern), while father (Bob Odenkirk) is off fighting in the war. All of these players are allowed at least one moment to shine at some point during the film (some more than others, but that’s simply the nature of the narrative) and this balanced effort pays dividends as all of the characters come off as believable and their actions intrinsically identifiable throughout.

Saoirse Ronan in “Little Women.”

Another player of note within the cast is the ever-dependable Meryl Streep as the soured Aunt March, who, at one point, seems to serve as the antithesis to everything that Jo believes she stands for and believes in. Timothée Chalamet, as Laurie, similarly delivers a well-rounded and likeable performance as the unrealized object of Jo’s affection. Although there is a plethora of characters at work here, at no time do they seem shorted (at least narratively speaking) and all are allowed at least one defining scene to themselves.

Again, the non-linear approach to Alcott’s Little Women allows for a greater flexibility throughout and ultimately yields interesting results as the film unfurls. Suffice it to say, that by the conclusion, the triumph of storytelling and filmmaking that has been achieved here is nothing short of remarkable as something so treasured, and familiar, is made new, exciting, and incredibly vital and timely.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com
An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

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