I loved the naturalistic cinematography, lighting and sets, and of course the costumes in this new adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott classic story. I love Maya Hawke (daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke), in the lead role of the free-spirited writer daughter Jo March. She is intelligent, charismatic and sensitive. I'm not so much a fan of Emily Watson, in the role of Marmee. Yes, in a way it's a thankless role - basically she's there to play the sainted mother. Watson plays a lot of these roles - her eyes welling up at key tragic points and her smiles warming the room. It gets a bit boring. The script, especially in the last episode, gets way too schmaltzy, and all the loose ends of the plot are very neatly tied up. Too often, scenes have a formula of two characters in a room, reciting predictable dialogue at each other. The actor who plays Dr March, the father, also has a thankless role, and is basically there as a minor player. I felt that this adaptation plays it safe. It doesn't try to do anything radical. It tells the story a bit like a soap opera - albeit a very expensively shot one. Overall, it's not an unpleasant way to spend your time, but neither is it very riveting.
Review of Little Women
