Little Women

2019 was quite a movie year and Little Women wraps it up as the final review I'll be doing this year before the Rath Awards drop later in the week. 

It's never really my choice about what film I decide to end the year on; I'm usually at the mercy of my own schedule and the unnecessary dump of films during Christmas time. It feels more momentous than it should every time, but still - it's fun to end on a high note. And after Uncut Gems disappointed me considerably the other day, I was looking to Little Women to be at the very least enjoyable. 

The previous several "last" films of the year haven't been kind to me. Vice (2018), Pitch Perfect 3 (2017), and Assassin's Creed (2016) were all less than stellar, even bad. Even 2015's The Hateful Eight isn't exactly my favorite Tarantino flick. So it's light praise to say that Little Women is the best "end of year" flick I've seen in many years. 

What's not so light of praise is that Little Women was so pure and so enjoyable that it very well could be throwing a wrench into my Top 10 Movie plans (which is both stressful and exciting). I went in with moderate expectations, having liked, but not loved director Greta Gerwig's previous film, Lady Bird. Even on the surface, there's really not much that should speak to me about Little Women. I am most certainly not its target audience. 

Sometimes when a film is as well put together as this, that sort of thing just doesn't matter. 

For those curious, I have not read the book. So I cannot divulge how it may have been different or modernized or how the ending may have changed or not. I haven't even seen previous iterations of this because, well...it's just not that high on my priority list. With that in mind, the story is a simple one about a family with four sisters, a mother, a caretaker, and a father who's off to war (and rarely seen here). If you're a female - particularly one with a sister or two - this film will likely speak volumes to you around the relationships, the friendships, the bickering, the shared heartache, the shared laughter, and more. I found a sentiment near the end of the film really poignant and highly related to this story: [this isn't a direct quote but the same gist] "A story doesn't have to be important to be worth telling". That only somewhat applies here because Little Women's story is important, especially for young women who are trying to find their way in this world. Despite the fact the film takes place around the Civil War, there are a lot of parallels between choices they must make with careers, men, family, and friends that still ring true today. Hell, even some of the thoughts in this film bleed across gender lines and affect men too. It's not a particularly exciting tale, but it's well told and sometimes that's just as effective. 

"You've got a booger there."

The core story is also complimented by one of the best scripts of the year. I don't do Awards for scripts because, frankly, I don't think I'm the best at actually noticing when a script/screenplay are what's driving a film's value, but it's abundantly apparent here. The script between these characters sings and is witty, real, but also appropriate for the time period. The screenplay may confuse some with fairly consistent time jumping, but I personally didn't have a problem with it outside of the few times it's used sporadically for a 30 second "hey look at this scene in the past" moment. There's just so much life and joy within this script and these characters that it seems even if Gerwig did overhaul the original tale, she's made a classic all her own. This is all complimented nicely with good/great camera work and editing and a fitting original score that performs best when the film calls for extra emotion. 

Lastly, but certainly not least, is our wonderful cast. I can't quite remember a time where everyone gets enough screentime and performs so highly with it that I can't pick an MVP, but Little Women is one of those films. Saoirse Ronan's Jo is stubborn and a dreamer, Emma Watson's Meg is supportive and the "beauty", Florence Pugh's Amy is bratty and fun, Eliza Scanlen's Beth is quiet and real, Laura Dern (who usually annoys the hell out of me) as Marmee is a fitting matriarch, and Timothee Chalamet as Laurie is playful and a good friend. Even supporting characters like Chris Cooper and Meryl Streep turn in excellent performances with more limited time on screen. The chemistry among this cast feels genuine and is part of what adds so much life to the screen while their more emotional moments hit harder than I expected to. 

I've got these same outfits!! OMG!

I'm honestly shocked that I enjoyed Little Women as much as I did. Not because I didn't think it wouldn't be good - the director/writer and cast alone told me that - but because I truly didn't think I'd connect with it. I figured it would be an enjoyable matinee where I'd look back and think, "That was fine. It was nice." Yet here I am, impressed to all hell with the film's robust quality from edge to edge. Damn you Greta Gerwig! You've made the 2019 Rath Awards that much harder now...

CONS

• Runs a little long and you could start to feel it before everything begins wrapping up. Probably meanders a little too much
• Meryl Streep does well, but given her limited role almost feels like a distraction
• Some time travel hops were unnecessary "quick hits"

PROS

• Utterly fantastic script and screenplay. How it relates to the original book or previous films, I'm not sure, but it's the driving force of the film's spirit here
• The story itself has importance, and while not "exciting" by general standards, is pleasant and worth losing yourself in
• Even though a small part, I connected with the writing aspect of Jo's character and the ending brought me great joy
• An incredible cast that all do so well, it's hard to pick a favorite. Even side characters have an impact here
• Enjoyable and fitting original score
• Sometimes a film is just able to fire on all cylinders that it doesn't really matter if you're the target audience or not. Little Women is that good

Rath's Review Score | 9/10