No other film this year had me feeling the way I did like Little Women did as I left the theater. Having basically no knowledge of the storyline of the book it's based on and very much liking, but not quite loving the writer and director's (Greta Gerwig) previous film Lady Bird, I expected to have about the same feelings here; but little did I know that one of the most delightful and characterized films of the year awaited me.
Gerwig's work is astounding. Her direction is brimming with so much liveliness and emotion that it's impossible not to love. But her screenplay is what's to love; it feels so true to the time it takes place while feeling so incredibly modern also. It's written with so much passion poured into its message, and especially shines with developing the people it follows.
Every character is astounding. Each of them remarkably distinct from the other and unforgettable. They all have at least one scene that can break your heart, and are impossible not to like (except for one, who's barely in it and is made apparent early on). It certainly helps that the cast is as wonderful as it is, the standouts being Saoirse Ronan helming the lead as Jo March who is as ever as ever to root for and Florence Pugh as Amy March, offering maybe the best performance in the film.
The way the film is made brilliantly draws you into it. The cinematography beautifully captures the nature of each scene offering a gorgeously crafted view of the sisters' situations, and the costumes and sets recreate capture the 1860s of the U.S. effortlessly. Then Alexandre Desplat is at the top of his game here, with some of the best music he's ever composed that I'm probably listening to as this is being read. The editing will take a bit of getting used to with how it goes back and forth with time places, but it makes the March family's story very effective once one figures it out.
Just watching the four March sisters continue with their everyday lives is endlessly captivating. They're endlessly likable; even when they act selfishly, they easily win you back with how they try and connect to each other and their friends. They all feel like our own sisters by the end, perhaps the best possible for a film to create a lasting impact on everyone watching it.
Even if you try to dislike Little Women, you'll love it. Even if you didn't care for Lady Bird, you'll love this. Even if you don't think Little Women will be your thing, it'll definitely be your thing. It's something impossible not to like, which easily reserves its reputation as what will be a classic.
Final Grade: A
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