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 Muppets (2011)

The classic Muppets get a heartfelt reboot for a new generation.

Gary (Jason Segel) and his brother Walter (voiced by Peter Linz) live in Smalltown, USA. They have lived there all their lives, and have always done everything together. Now as adults, they still live together in the same house they grew up in. Oh, I ought to mention something here: Walter is a Muppet, though he doesn’t know that just yet.

But when they were younger, and saw The Muppet Show on television for the first time, Walter discovered what had previously been missing in his life. He became the Muppets’ biggest fan, and would give anything to visit the hallowed Muppet Studios in LA.

Gary and his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) are going to Los Angeles to celebrate their tenth anniversary. Knowing how much it means to him, they ask Walter to come with them, so that he can finally achieve his dream of seeing the Muppet Studios.

But when they get there, the building is deserted. The Muppets have completely disbanded, gone their separate ways, and the studios are about to be sold to oil baron Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), who plans to demolish the buildings and drill for oil underneath.

Walter overhears his plan, and he, Gary and Mary find Kermit the Frog and insist that he get the gang back together for one last show to try and raise enough money to be able to buy the studios themselves.

The screenplay, by Jason Segel & Nicholas Stoller, is actually quite good. There are so many beautiful moments in this film, especially for fans of the original Muppet Show, or indeed any of the classic Muppet movies.

The songs – written by Bret McKenzie, one half of comedy duo Flight of the Conchords – blend well into the score, by Christophe Beck, and move the plot forward while also deepening our understanding of the characters; this is the sole purpose of songs in a musical, and the fact that the songs in this film do this so well means that this film (as a musical) works precisely as it should.

Performances by the cast are adequate for the genre. There is nothing particularly spectacular about the acting of any individual, but the singing and dancing abilities of all involved are something to behold. This film is unashamedly a musical in the classic sense, with huge song and dance numbers similar to those you find in the Hollywood musicals of the 1940s and 1950s.

There are an enormous number of cameos in this film. I won’t go into detail of them, but will give you a list of names. So, we have Alan Arkin, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Jim Parsons, Kristen Schaal, Sarah Silverman, Donald Glover, Emily Blunt, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Rico Rodriguez, Dave Grohl, Neil Patrick Harris, Judd Hirsch, John Krasinski and Mickey Rooney.

Add to that two hilarious performances from Rashida Jones as a television executive, and Jack Black as himself, and you’ve got one of the biggest casts of any musical I’ve seen for quite some time.

This film did have a sequel three years later, which I will be reviewing in due course, so stay tuned for that.

Director James Bobin has brought us a pretty good film, another entertaining musical for the whole family to enjoy. It brings a smile to my face every time I watch it, but also a tear to my eye every time I hear Kermit sing The Rainbow Connection (for the first time on screen since the death of Jim Henson all those years ago).

8 out of 10.

August: Osage County (2013)

Based on the stage play by Tracy Letts, this film follows the adventures (or rather misadventures) of an incredibly dysfunctional family.

Beverly Weston (Sam Shepard) lives with his wife Violet (Meryl Streep) and newly-hired nurse/housekeeper Johnna (Misty Upham) in rural Oklahoma. Violet has mouth cancer, and is a very opinionated woman who doesn’t really seem to like anyone she comes across.

When Beverly goes missing (not for the first time, either), Violet contacts the rest of the family, who come to support her. First to arrive is daughter Ivy (Julianne Nicholson), as she lives the closest.

Shortly after, daughter Barbara (Julia Roberts) arrives with her estranged husband Bill (Ewan McGregor) and teenage daughter Jean (Abigail Breslin).

When Beverly’s body is found in a nearby lake (an apparent suicide) the rest of the family also make their way to the family home for the funeral and other arrangements.

Violet’s sister Mattie Fae (Margo Martindale) arrives with her husband Charlie (Chris Cooper), and is followed by their son Charles (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Last to arrive is youngest daughter Karen (Juliette Lewis), along with her fiancé Steve (Dermot Mulroney) who has already been married three times before.

The rest of the film I will leave for you to discover for yourself, but I will just tell you that the remainder of the film involves all kinds of family secrets and closeted skeletons, few of which you will see coming.

As mentioned above, this is based on a play that did quite well when it was on Broadway. Tracy Letts has written the screenplay himself, so obviously, the film is very similar to the original play.

As with a lot of films based on stage plays, the majority of the action takes place in only one location, namely around the family dinner table.

The script is incredibly tight, but at the same time, filled with an awful lot of dialogue. The amount of dialogue isn’t a problem as it is very good, I only mention it in passing, really.

All of the cast are fabulous in their respective roles, with the clear standout being Meryl Streep (surprise, surprise). Julia Roberts is also excellent as the eldest daughter, who carries a lot of the burden of the family herself (whether or not this is justified I will leave up to you to decide).

The score (by Gustavo Santaolalla) works well when it is present, which is not often. The primary focus of this film seems to be on the dialogue, which should come as no surprise as it is based on a play (I know I’ve said it a couple of times already, but it is abundantly clear at every moment as you watch the film).

The film is overall incredibly confronting, and will give you plenty to think about long after the final credits scroll.

Director John Wells has done an incredible job of bringing this brilliant play to the screen. I would definitely recommend watching this film if you haven’t done so yet (in fact, I think I may even watch it again myself very soon; there is so much in there to think about, and I think one would notice different things on each subsequent viewing).

8 1/2 out of 10.