Little Women (2019)

Based on the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott, this film tells the story of the four March sisters growing up in Concord, Massachusetts in the middle of the nineteenth century. Loved by generations since its publication, the book has been the subject of several adaptations already, but I think this is definitely one of the better ones.

The four girls, Meg (Emma Watson), Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) live a simple life with their mother (Laura Dern) - who goes by Marmee to everyone. Their nearest neighbour is wealthy Mr Laurence (Chris Cooper) who has recently taken in his grandson Theodore (Timothée Chalamet).

I probably don’t know if I need to go into plot description much for this film, as I’m sure most of you have either read the book, had it read to you, or know someone who falls into one of these two other categories. The book has basically been an unwritten required reading for all young women at one stage or another, and the previous adaptations mean that even for those who haven’t (yet) read the book, the story has come into general consciousness - the zeitgeist if you will.

There are a few things I wish to say about this particular version, however. Firstly, the order of events has been modified somewhat. The book - and the story therein - takes place in two distinct times, separated by about seven years. This film - rather than showing the events chronologically, as the book and previous adaptations have done - jumps back and forth between these two times in a very clever way, highlighting significant plot points exceptionally well.

Jo (Saoirse Ronan).

It also allows for events that ‘go together’ - for want of a better term - to occur side by side, making some of the story easier to follow.

But the best result of this method of storytelling is the directing of the viewer’s emotional journey through the story. Cleverly presenting the story as a series of moments, which at its heart, is precisely what the book tries to do, makes this the closest adaptation to what I believe is Alcott’s original intention.

The screenplay, written by director Greta Gerwig, is above all, faithful to the original source material. As already mentioned, various events take place out of sequence - at least as far as chronology is concerned - but everything readers know and love from the book is in there, brilliantly brought to life by the writing just as much as the performances.

Meg (Emma Watson).

Speaking of performances, the entire cast are brilliant. Standouts include Ronan and Pugh, but in an ensemble piece such as this, it is near-impossible to single out these two while ignoring the rest. The simple fact is, everyone in this film has captured the personality of their own character so well, it feels like the characters have leapt straight from the pages of the book onto the screen in front of your eyes.

A more-than-honourable mention must also go to Meryl Streep, whose portrayal of Aunt March is by far the best I have seen on screen. Her comic timing, delivery, and wonderfully expressive eyes, establish her strongly as one of the greatest characters of this film.

It pains me to say this - given the previous projects of composer Alexandre Desplat - but the film does feel a little overscored. The music is fantastic - don’t get me wrong - as one might expect, but there are certainly moments in the film that could have benefited from a little more silence. The majority of the score consists purely of solo piano - which should come as no surprise to fans of the book - and it is certainly well-composed and well-realised.

Theodore (Timothée Chalamet) and Amy (Florence Pugh).

Jess Gonchor’s production design is an absolute delight. Every single set and location have been meticulously and painstakingly designed to capture not only the world of the story - and book - but also to convey enormous amounts of character information.

The same is true of the costumes, designed by Jacqueline Durran. Each and every outfit has been not only researched to be historically and culturally accurate, but also to represent the individual personalities of the character therein.

Director Greta Gerwig has made an absolutely beautiful film here. No matter how many times you have read the book, or how many other versions you have seen before, absolutely nothing can prepare you for what happens (you’ll know what I mean), and this is an indicator of just how swept up in the story you will be. You may not need to see it on the big screen, but you definitely do need to see it - it is truly an exceptional film that has almost everything going for it.

9 out of 10.

The Danish Girl (2015)

Based on the novel by David Ebershoff, which was itself a fictionalised version of true events, this film tells the story of Lili Elbe, the first person to ever successfully undergo gender reassignment surgery.

Copenhagen. 1926. Famous Danish painter Einar Wegener (Eddie Redmayne) lives with his wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander). Einar's landscapes are celebrated by art lovers all over the country, while Gerda's portraits are still not receiving recognition; apparently, they are not of the right subject.

Her latest portrait is of their close friend, Ulla (Amber Heard), who is a beautiful young dancer. When Ulla is running late for a sitting, Gerda asks Einar if he will put on her stockings and shoes, just so she can finish up the feet in the painting.

But something still isn't right. Gerda needs Einar to hold the dress against his body, so she can see how the hem of the dress falls against the legs of the stockings.

While sitting there, something awakens in Einar, and he realises he is not the person he is meant to be, but that instead, he feels he is a woman trapped inside a man's body.

There is a party going on one night, to which Gerda and Ulla have both been invited. Gerda brings Einar along - dressed as a female and going by the name Lili - to keep her company. Gerda has begun painting portraits of Lili, which are gaining favour among the art elite.

Einar (Eddie Redmayne) poses for his wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander).

At the party, Lili is the talk of the moment, and a young man named Henrik (Ben Whishaw) seems quite taken with her. When Gerda sees the two of them kiss, she becomes incredibly jealous and tells Einar that this has to stop immediately.

But Einar - now exclusively living at home as Lili - isn't able to just switch this off. It isn't a phase, he tells her, nor is it a game; this is the person (s)he was always meant to be.

But in the 1920s, the word transgender - a common term these days - wasn't known, and the issues of gender dysphoria were certainly not discussed, or even fully understood. Gerda takes her husband from doctor to doctor, receiving diagnoses ranging from a chemical imbalance to perversion to schizophrenia.

It isn't until they discover unorthodox doctor, Professor Warnekros (Sebastian Koch) in Dresden, that Lili hears of a groundbreaking surgical procedure allowing her body to be brought into line with the way she feels inside.

Lili (Eddie Redmayne) and Gerda (Alicia Vikander) discussing what their
future as a couple will look like.

The screenplay, adapted from Ebershoff's novel by Lucinda Coxon, is absolutely beautiful. Every time I watch this film - and it's been a few times now - it makes me cry. The first time I watched it, I cried for the entire duration of the film, it's just such a beautiful and heartbreaking story.

The quality of the adaptation is superb. I have also read the novel, and while the novel is able to go into much greater detail of the inner workings of Lili's mind, the film must rely on external elements throughout. The novel also has much more graphic descriptions of Lili's various encounters with different men that could not have been depicted on film, and the filmmakers have dealt with this 'restriction' very well, while still keeping to the truth of the story and of the characters.

I only have to mention the name Alexandre Desplat, and you already know the score is going to be magnificent. There are a lot of sections of the score that feature only a solo instrument, primarily piano, and these are all perfectly suited to the sections of the film where they feature, not necessarily to the action on screen but rather the emotions of the characters in the scene.

Eve Stewart's production design is amazing. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her work on this film - she sadly didn't win - and the reasons for her nomination are plainly clear to anyone watching. The recreation of 1920s Copenhagen is flawless; Copenhagen is an absolutely beautiful city even today, and it photographs incredibly well.

Gerda (Alicia Vikander) supporting Lili (Eddie Redmayne) as she recovers
from gender reassignment surgery.

This seems like an ideal moment to mention the cinematography. Cinematographer Danny Cohen has also done an amazing job of capturing life in Copenhagen, and later in the film Paris and Dresden. His use of light - and skill in contrasting light and dark - is amazing; the film is a joy to watch not only from an emotional standpoint, but from a visual one, too.

The performances of the cast, in particular Redmayne and Vikander, are fabulous. Redmayne's portrayal of femininity is brilliant, and earned him a nomination for an Academy Award. Vikander actually won the Academy Award she was nominated for for her role in this film, an award which was well deserved.

Another reason this film always makes me cry is Alicia Vikander's performance in every scene. She portrays a woman who, despite some challenges and some difficulties for her in dealing with changes in her husband - the man she married - manages to keep her wedding vows until the film's end, such is the strength of her love and her commitment.

Director Tom Hooper has outdone himself yet again with this film. If you haven't seen it, I suggest you make a point to do so as soon as possible.

9 out of 10.