Little Women (2019) – Review

The second directorial effort from Greta Gerwig was a controversial one for many, as an adaption of the cult book Little Woman may seem a little over done with three previous films and mini-series already existing.

However, before seeing the film I had hopes due to the cast which featured some of my favourite actors at the moment like Florence Pugh (Midsommar), Timothee Chalamet (Call me by your name) and Saoirse Ronan (lady Bird). Due the cast and Greta’s previous film Lady Bird being one of my favourites I was quite excited.

This film differs from previous films in many ways, but the biggest difference would be the structure. Where other films had a linear timeline, the 2019 version jumps from childhood to adulthood which helps give the audience a better understanding of the characters choices.

Another major difference was the ending and the role of Jo’s love interest Frederick In the other adaptations Frederick plays a much more important role in Jo’s New York life but in this version, we spend more time with Jo as she tries to become a successful writer and focus more on her relationship with her sisters and Laurie.

My favourite part of this adaptation was portrayal of Amy who in the book and the previous films she seems to be just a bratty younger sister who steals Laurie from her sister Jo but, in this version her choices of wanting to marry rich aren’t don’t make her look lazy. The film makes clear why she makes these choices and that her choices are just as valid and right as Jo’s choice not to marry.

Overall, I recommend this film to anyone who enjoyed the book or had enjoyed Gerwig’s previous work Lady Bird. It stays true to the book whilst still keeping it fresh.