No. 112. (2019) LITTLE WOMEN. December 22nd.

Film No 112 (2019) December 22nd.  1:45 PM  LUNA PALACE Windsor,  Nedlands . 

"Make it short and spicy. And if your main character is a girl, make sure she is married by the end; or dead". (Jo March gets advice from her editor about what sort of story sells in the mid 1800's).

Louisa May Alcott wrote a novel so iconic in 1868 that there have been hundreds of interpretations from poems, to TV series, adaptations to films and theatre scripts, all with varying success. The novel is a celebration of family, female sensibilities, determination and goodness in general. Greta Gerwig's latest take on Little Women may well stand as the greatest celebration of Alcott's novel of all. It is a masterclass defining all the joy a visit to the cinema can bring. 

Gerwig has remained true to the book, but her technique of  seamlessly flitting from flashback to real-time gives a dimension so very important for a cinema adaptation of such an iconic story. In particular the Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Amy (Florence Pugh) love, hate chemistry reaps the full benefit of Gerwig's blueprint. 

Which brings me to the actors who colour the screen so beautifully in this version. Emma Watson (Meg) and Eliza Scanien (Beth) round out the quartet of March sisters with aplomb. Laura Dern as Mother Marmee captures every ounce of love and empathy needed. The often heartbroken Laurie played by Timothee Chalamet pushes all the right buttons. And so the list broadens. There is barely a player out of place; although the chance for Bob Odenkirk to enhance the fatherly influence is stifled and lacks depth. 

I'm certain there is not a better holiday flick doing the rounds here in Australia over Christmas/New Year. And other than a slightly sickly soundtrack which has a "this is how you should feel now" quality, Little Women is close to the most faultless film I've seen in 2019. Gerwig can now be added to my "not be missed" director list. 11GUMS.