"Little Women " (2019 release; 135 min.) brings the story of the 4 March sisters (Amy, Jo, Meg and Beth) in the 1860s. As the movie opens, Jo is offering a short story to a New York publisher, who to her delight offers to buy it, albeit with serious edits. Meanwhile Amy is in Paris with her aunt, where she runs into her friend Laurie. Back to Jo, who gets a letter that her younger sister Beth is very ill, so Jo returns home. We then go to "Seven Years Earlier, Concord, Massachusetts"... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the latest adaptation of the famed 1868 novel by Louise May Alcott. However, it is the first directed by a woman, namely Greta Gerwig. Following her strong 2017 directing debut "Lady Bird", Gerwig returns as director (and script writer). Gerwig confirms that she is a director to reckon with, as the movie is as pleasant as it is timely and contemporary (among others, examining the role of women and marriage). Saoirse Ronan, also the lead in "Lady Bird", is the central figure as (as Jo), and the main glue that holds together the large ensemble cast. The other sisters are played by Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, and Eliza Scanlan. Laura Dern is delightful as the gruels' mom. Timothée Chamelet, typically so solid, looks lost most of the time as his character tries to decide which of the sisters he really likes best. Meryl Streep gets about 10 min. of screen time as the crabby Aunt March. Last but not least, there is a wonderful orchestral score courtesy of Oscar-winnning composer Alexandre Desplat, and I wouldn't be surprised one bit if he gets another Oscar nomination for this.
"Little Women" opened wide on Christmas Day and has done very well, both critically (it's currently rated 95% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and at the box office against formidable competition (the latest Star Wars). I saw it this past weekend and the Saturday early evening screening was PACKED (just short of a sellout). If you are in the mood for another take on "Little Women", or simply are a fan of Greta Gerwig or Saoirse Ronan, I readily suggest you check this out, be in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
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