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.

Downsizing (2017)

When genetic researcher Dr. Jorgen Asbjørnsen (Rolf Lassgård) discovers a method for significantly reducing cellular mass in a laboratory in Norway, the implications have huge potential for the wider world.

He shares his findings at a conference on climate change, believing that by shrinking down human beings to a fraction of their normal size, the human race can reduce their carbon footprint, and make the world a more sustainable place to live.

Fast forward ten years, and the world is indeed a vastly different place. Many communities have sprung up around the globe, inhabited by people who have chosen to ‘downsize’. Everything in these communities is smaller, meaning that an entire city full of people can be housed in an area of only a few hundred square kilometres.

Two people who decide to undergo this dramatic change are Paul Safranek (Matt Damon) and his wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig). Initially, they come to their decision because they are finding it difficult to purchase their own home in the current property market, and because of the difference in size of absolutely everything in these small-people communities, they can purchase the house of their dreams which is little bigger than a shoebox to a full-sized person, and they can still have plenty of money left over, and can essentially live as ‘millionaires’ for only an investment of a few hundred thousand.

But when it comes time to undergo the procedure, Audrey chickens out and leaves the facility, while Paul is shrunk down to a height of only a few inches. He now finds himself ‘alone’ in this new world, and having to get used to life on his own again.

Making friends with a neighbour Dusan Mirkovic (Christoph Waltz) and cleaning woman Ngoc Lan Tran (Hong Chau) - who is actually a political refugee originally from Vietnam - he begins to adjust to his new predicament, and maybe even learn to love again.

This is an incredibly innovative film from director Alexander Payne, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jim Taylor. They really have thought of everything to make this world seem so incredibly real. Every tiny little detail (no pun intended) has been addressed, and there are a lot of really sweet moments.

At the same time, there are a lot of really difficult moments, things that maybe characters hadn’t considered in undergoing this procedure of ‘downsizing’. The film is an interesting critique of modern society, and the lengths to which some people may go to make life more liveable and sustainable.

The cast are well-suited to their roles. The chemistry between Damon and Wiig (at least at the beginning of the film) is just beautiful; they really work well together playing husband and wife, and the relationship seems genuine in a very understated way.

Hong Chau is just perfect in her portrayal of Ngoc Lan Tran, and is a very talented performer. There are some really touching moments in several of her scenes. She plays the comedy very well, and the drama exceptionally well, especially in the second half of the film. One cannot fail to be deeply moved by her performance.

There are also a couple of fun cameos from Neil Patrick Harris and Laura Dern, who play a married couple involved in recruiting people to join their small community.

Even as much as I laughed heartily at many moments in this film - the comedic timing of all cast and creative team is superb - I have to say there were just as many moments where I found myself in tears, having been profoundly affected by the repercussions of various plot points. Of course, I don’t want to spoil anything, but this film is just beautiful in every sense.

Every single person involved in the production of this film has done an incredible job, and I just know this is going to be a film I am going to watch many more times.

9 out of 10.