Little Women (2019) User Reviews

a fascinating film!

[mbrcf · 8/10 · 18 January 2020]

This film is simply spectacular! The acting is superb by everone in the cast, the attention to detail here is just breathtaking. I was wondering during the film that how much time and effort were into making this movie.

I was a bit annoyed by the non-linearity of the script and thought it was overdone but besides that I enjoyed this film a lot. Go see this.

It will be an ageless version

[clare_fontaine · 9/10 · 1 January 2020]

I will definitely introduce it to my mom and my girls. I already imagined watching it many years later and still be touched as hell.

Entertaining. 94 version? Cannot judge which one is better

[directorgod-2 · 8/10 · 23 January 2020]

Finally saw LITTLE WOMEN 2019. Didn't expected much cause I really liked 94 version by Gillian Armstrong with Winona Ryder , Gabriel Byrne , Trini Alvarado , Christian Bale and Susan Sarandon. Well, the casting was something that I cannot judge which one is better. Both are so so great. But Christian Bale 94, I liked better than Timothée Chalamet 2019 (Although he was good but didn't overcome THE Christian).

Two things really grabbed me.

1. The camera and light. The camera is keep moving even for the steady shots. They released the tripod and moved a little to adjust each actors even a small movement they make. They also use sunlight so beautifully like Pride and Prejudice. Aldo a couple of slow motions and mintage sequences are beautiful too.

2. The music. It is not like here I am listen like Hans Zimmer or Max Richter or even Cliff Martinez who would say even if the movie suck I am still here. Think that at least you've watched a great Music Video cause of my music. In this movie the music is there clearly and when it comes to really important moments, It really boost up the heart of audience. But it's more like supporting way. I felt it from the very beginning. Ok wow this guy knows OST!! Alexandre is more of a classic composer who made OST like The Danish Girl, The Tree of life, Julie & Julia and Philomena.

I cannot say this movie will win (was nominated for 6 Academy) a lot of awards from all around the world but it has beautiful beautiful acting ensenble and light, camera and music wise. Work of art.

Also the acting sometimes made my heart beat. Even the makeup is so great. Of course the director is also an actress so she knows how to deal with these stuff, right?

Last. The time. It goes back and forth from the past to present a couple of times but it was not confusing or breaking any concentration cause it was so nicely connected by editing and bridge music. (The cast y-oung and old -was the same too which didn't matter as well.) Something that was different with the 94 version.

It is an inspiring movie after all and I won't rest tonight to finish my humble feature writing for my next project.

The ending

[nancyrn916 · 10/10 · 30 December 2019]

Some comments lament the movie has changed from the book (especially the ending). I heard a Greta Gerwig interview today where she explained she studied Louisa May Alcott and found out Alcott, in actuality, was pressured by her publishers, to marry Jo at the end of the book. Gerwig wanted to honor Alcott by ending it the way it really was meant to be. This knowledge made the movie so much better for me.

Powerful Performance by Saoirse Ronan

[jamuckley · 9/10 · 17 December 2019]

The newest adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, "Little Women," was the best version I have ever seen. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the film stars Saoirse Ronan as Jo March, Emma Watson as Meg, Florence Pugh as Amy, Eliza Scanlen as Beth, and Laura Dern as Marmee. Timothée Chalamet stars as Laurie, Chris Cooper is Mr. Laurence, and Meryl Streep as Aunt March.

The entire cast is stupendous. Ms. Ronan stands out in her tour de force performance as Jo, the independent writer, who refuses to marry, and is determined to make her own path. She unflinchingly remains true to herself, her family and her work as both a writer and a teacher.

The main difference between this adaptation and its predecessors is the stream of consciousness approach as the story moves between the present day March family, and the stories of growing up together. Parallels between the challenges when they were children and the struggles of adulthood weave together to tell their story both now and then. Gerwig and her team does a masterful job of storytelling to balance it all in a cohesive manner that holds the audience's attention and intrigue, even if most viewers already know the original story.

To enhance the superb storytelling, the film's cinematography and costume design, recreating 19th century New England, was a bright spot in this visually captivating film. I wouldn't be surprised if this film was among the select few chosen for nominations in both categories at this year's Oscars.

A beautiful movie

[Ami65 · 8/10 · 10 January 2020]

Little Women (2019) is a wonderful movie from every aspect. It has a powerful story, superb acting and beautiful costumes and design. Moreover, it seems to me that I am flipping the pages of a painting book. Every scene looks like a beautiful canvas.

Another Christmas Movie

[momzxxxooo · 10/10 · 16 January 2020]

A line at the 12:30 show? All here to see Little Women I joked. Yes, they were & some seeing it again. Best movie I've seen in ten years. Word will get around, it'll be a best seller and then this will be one that we watch every Christmas with the grands. Don't be the last on your block to see it.

I am the odd reviewer who did NOT love this film.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 20 April 2020]

I read through many of the reviews for this 2019 version of "Little Women" and noticed that most reviewers adored the film. Because of this, I assumed I also would love the movie. Sadly, however, I was left feeling ambivalent about it...and I noticed that my wife and oldest daughter felt pretty much the same way.

I won't talk about the plot...after all, there's a summary on IMDB and lots of reviews talk about this. What I should mention is that the film is much more like the book than previous versions....a plus. But the reasons I still did not love this film are what stop me from recommending the film. First, there simply is too much story to cram into a little over two hours. If you are going to try to stick closer to the book, then perhaps consider making it a mini-series. This is because although the film is more like the book, to do this they also omit a lot of things....making the story seem a bit disjoint and confusing. Second, I really didn't think they did a good job of helping the viewers to actually care about the characters. Some of this was because the little women in the story were poorly chosen--much too old in some cases (the 12 year-old early in the story looked to be about 20). Some was because the choppiness of the story really harmed the film because the characters just seemed one-dimensional. Overall, a decent story but even with its sticking closer to the book, I much preferred the 1990s version...which was much more charming, fun and likable.

Must go see

[gabbygilbert · 10/10 · 31 December 2019]

This movie was amazing. Amazing actors and actresses. Could not have asked for anything better. Kept your attention through out the whole 2 hr movie. I would recommend this movie over and over again

1994 Version vastly superior

[chet19 · 6/10 · 12 December 2020]

Surprising to see such a high rating for this movie, and I can only guess it's because people don't know the original story. The rating would be much lower if people understood how much stuff director Greta Gerwig changed and added. Greta is a great writer and director when doing her own projects. But when she took on this classic, she inserted herself too much. First and foremost is the back-and-forth timeline. Don't pretend you had no problem keeping up. It was near impossible. You see a married couple, and then you see them meeting for the first time. Okay, that is obviously a flashback. But then you see a different couple, and you have no idea what timeline they are in. Jo has hair in one scene, and then it's gone, then back again. So it was easy to see which timeframe she was in. But not for any other character. The back and forth story frames was the same thing that ruined the last few seasons of LOST, and it was very intrusive of Greta to do that to Alcott's classic. Next, we have Greta's own inventions, characters such as the book publisher who looks into the camera and speaks directly to us in the audience. I don't remember where that part was in the original book. Oh yeah, it wasn't. The director did this on her own and invented an unneeded story line where Jo March was the writer of Little Women, and not Louisa May Alcott. A huge mistake. All 4 girls looked the same age, and this was a big casting mistake, plus Laurie looked 12 years old throughout. I know Great wanted to hire the A-list of young actors, but the characters are not the same age like these actors are.

Got to see an advanced screening last night...

[Plain-view · 9/10 · 17 December 2019]

Not my kind of movie, went with my wife. I've never had a movie move me so much. Several times I got teary-eyed. Gerwig did an excellent job keeping the movie pretty fast-paced for an adaptation of Little Women and the decisions she made were excellent. All of the performances were satisfactory or better. Laughter was frequent as well.

I really cannot imagine a better adaptation of Little Women.

Tender

[francesco-musolino · 7/10 · 12 January 2020]

Tender, beautiful rhythm, well-kept characters and an atmosphere that holds up to the end. we all know the story, making a good movie was not easy at all. 7/10

So many flashbacks..

[thesims-38613 · 2/10 · 20 March 2022]

One of my favorites stories completely ruined.. There are so many flashbacks that it makes it hard to tell when we are in the present moment. The characters are rather flat and you don't really care about them as much as you would do in the '94 version.

I don't feel like the actesses (the sisters) are the right cast. You just don't feel the chemestry between. And what's worse is that they never age, which again makes it harder to know where we are in the timeline.

The costumes are great but that's about it.

Precious! Watch the Original First

[carolinebags · 10/10 · 24 January 2020]

This is a beautiful portrayal of the Little Women story. The costumes and acting are amazing! Because the plot constantly jumps back and forth between present time and past time in the girls' lives, it did get confusing for my friends who had not seen the original movie first. I recommend watching the first movie to get n understanding of the plot before watching this new 2019 version! But please don't fail to watch the 2019 version because it is made so well!

i didn't expect this but i really love it

[palefumes · 10/10 · 17 January 2020]

I love that greta's version of tells us more about the sisterhood, family, and being a woman. the romance between jo and march is still there, too, but it's not the first thing you see or feel when you watch the movie (for me at least). amy is still annoying as ever (just like in the 1994 version), but i love that meg and beth have more spotlights in this version, too. every words were written beautifully and touching. i love every single words that coming from each characters. i love how this movie ends, too, it's much happier and realistic. i love that its 2h15m long because i feel like greta is rushing to tell us the stories but she really took her time without boring us (me) at all.

i didn't expect to love this movie that much considered that i really love the 1994 version, but this movie has the same stories and characters but i feels fresh and warm for me.

A film worth seeing!

[stubblefieldpamela · 9/10 · 18 January 2020]

A film like this is what makes me a movie goer. I felt like I took a step back in time,, mesmerized by the cinematography, the musical score., and above all brilliant acting. What else is needed to say except, go see it!

Beautiful setting, great actors. A feel-good costume drama.

[julievanrijsewijk · 8/10 · 6 February 2020]

It is buzzing of life, love and energy. It is incredibly well-shot. The story isn't linear, but the director uses plenty of clues to show the audience in what time we are, like the lighting to convey mood. The actors are amazing, full of force and true emotion. Especially Joe and Teddy have a great chemistry.

It is worth a watch, but you have to enjoy the genre. It gets a bit soppy at the end, the exposition feels a bit forced, the feminist message can feel bit shoe-horned. Although I like the point the main-protagonist made, that chasing her norm-defying dreams meant she was forced to be lonely. It comes right after her speech of women's ability, and the depressing conclusion was not seen in the trailer. She did solve that issue in a way that happened to work out perfectly.

An absolutely gorgeous movie worth a watch.

Great film

[Kitbeef11 · 10 January 2020]

Such a pleasure to watch a wonderful feel good film. Granted I got confused by the end with the jumping back and forth but most the time you knew what was going on by the mood of everyone. Absolutely brilliant

Touching and happy film filled with character and personality

[Oliveraandreasson · 7/10 · 23 January 2020]

This movie is about as far away from 'my type' of movie as possible, or at least that's what I thought, but I have to say I enjoyed it a lot.

It's a story about the upbringing and growth of four girls from the bubbling happiness and hopeful optimism of children, into the hard and scary reality of adulthood. Therefore, the focus of the film is the wonderful characters played by Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Timothee Chalamet and Laura Dern. They are all very well acted and every single character is unique and filled with personality.

Acting and characters aside, it's beautifully captured and the environments really breathes life into the film. The movie is also very touching and I couldn't help but cry, both tears of happiness and of grief.

My only complaint is that the story is rather messy and it often jumps between different time periods and places without giving good enough hints of this. I spent quite a lot of time and energy on trying to understand where and when they were, and that is something that could have been done better.

Overall, I really liked the film and I completely understand why it has received such critical praise.

Finally a modern version worthy of the story!

[mw706 · 9/10 · 31 December 2019]

I just sat with my mom in a theater full of women and we all smiled, laughed, and boo-hooed through the whole movie. They take the classic story and tell it in a new and unexpected (and delightful) way. This captured what so many versions fail to capture which is the CHARM of the March sisters and Marmee and Laurie and Mr. Lawrence and all the characters we know and love! When I saw the trailer I wasn't sure it would really capture it, and I wasn't immediately thrilled by the choices of cast, but the movie was a joy to sit through and the cast was perfect! READ THE BOOK (I must insist) and then go check out this movie with your best pals

Still prefer the 1994 version.

[ivanjelina-978-935445 · 6/10 · 12 April 2020]

This was very good. By all means a well made, well written and shot adaptation. But for me it didn't even come close to the '94 version with Winona Ryder. Each character was phenomenal in that old version, especially Claire Danes as Beth and Christian Bale as Laurie. Also the unforgettable Winona Ryder, of course, and Susan Sarandon. Kirsten Dunst as Amy...oh my goodness, absolutely exquisite. Even though I enjoyed watching the new version, my preference remains firmly with the old. Though more simply told, perhaps, without flashbacks back and forth and fancy effects, to me it was richer in emotions and with much more memorable, more 'colorful' characters. I enjoyed watching Amy in the new version, I just didn't understand why she was never little?... She was this mature woman both as a kid and an adult...very strange. Anyway, you won't regret watching this, for sure. I just doubt I'll ever see it again. Whereas the '94 version I could watch another ten times, with pleasure. I guess that says it all.

A reinterpretation that works

[sberridge77 · 9/10 · 26 January 2020]

I enjoyed this new film of a well known book and other movies very much indeed. I know this story so well, read the books a few times, saw the version with Janet Leigh, June Alyson, Elizabeth Taylor and Margaret O'Bryan, and decided to see it again with a few doubts. I need not have worried because I was in safe hands with Greta Gerwig. The imaginative blending of the story behind the story worked perfectly for me and the casting, about which I had had my doubts, was spot on, with one exception. Even this was allayed by the time I got to the end of the film. It was Professor Bhaer who annoyed me when he first made an appearance, all wrong for the short sighted middle aged stout professor of the book and previous films. By the end, when the clever blend of fact and fiction ended entirely satisfactorily, I thought yes Greta went the whole hog and not only made Jo marry, but gave her a handsome Latin husband, perhaps loves young dream! Result!

Little Women

[henry8-3 · 7/10 · 29 December 2019]

New version of Louisa M Alcott's classic novel about the 4 March sisters looking for love and a substantial life in 19th Century Massachusetts.

Greta Gerwig has produced another fine film cleverly incorporating modern themes around feminism and equality within a story structure that moves away from the standard linear approach and puts events around the lives of the sisters in a weaving structure of overlaid set pieces and flashbacks. This all works very cleverly without messing the source material about and plays out superbly by a stellar cast with surely a number of awards beckoning, particularly for Florence Pugh.

Emotional Impact Ruined by Narrative Structure

[mycannonball · 4/10 · 1 December 2021]

Starting at the end is rarely a good idea because it destroys all the emotional payoffs. We open with Jo selling her stories (so now all the earlier stuff where she's struggling to be a writer is diffused of that struggle). We open with Amy already in Paris and painting (so now we understand that Amy does escape to a more glamorous life as desired), and even worse, we open with her running into Laurie and us finding out that Jo turned down his engagement (so ALL romance in their earlier years is now "who cares?" because we know where it leads). Oscar nominated?? Filmmakers wanted to be different? Put their mark on the story by telling it out of order? Makes no narrative sense. So if you already know the story and you won't to see pretty costuming, watch it. If you don't know the story, watch the 1994 version instead.

Superb

[carolinepratten · 10/10 · 25 January 2020]

This was my favourite childhood read and I went to the cinema in full 'critic mode'. But I was absolutely blown away, enchanted, laughed and cried and remembered why I so loved this story. Casting was perfect, music, cinematography divine.