Wonder Women, 1868.
135 Mins. Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Chris Cooper & Meryl Streep. Director: Greta Gerwig.
This woman's work will live forever. Now starts the craft...of our mother. As Kate Bush and then Maxwell in her honour once said, "I know you've got a little life in you yet. I know you've got a lot of strength left". And we need it right now. To say we are in trying times right now is the biggest understatement of our lives like those who still think they can go outside instead of staying indoors right now. We knew this decade in a new Gatsby era we were meant to go back to the roaring 20's, but we didn't know that would come with the plague too. Don't get sick like Beth. Coronavirsus closing cinemas is the least of our concerns. But this art form in theatres has always been the most big-screen form of epic escapism mind. And you may wonder why has it taken now for me to get to these 'Little Women'. Am I a male chauvinist pig who would have rather wanted 'Little Men' (didn't the Wayans brothers do this already?), like the most chauvinist of them all Donald Trump didn't want a female 'Ghostbusters' reboot? Nope! Besides I loved that movie like I loved 'Oceans 8' (and I don't need to say that tired line, but the more people who do speak for these movies the less ignorance we may have from those who hate but haven't even seen them. Forgive me for presuming?!). Did I put the book in the fridge like Joey off 'Friends' because I was scared like 'The Shining'? Well...the fall thorough ice always scared me as much as 'The Irishman' actor Joe "funny how" Pesci in 'Goodfellas' which like a clown chilled me to the bone (no wonder I was s### scared of being 'Home Alone') or Mac Culkin being stung by all those bees in 'My Girl'. Was it because I was going around asking how little these 'Little Women' really are? Like "scary" little? Nah! None of the above references. It's because I've been living in Japan for the last 6 months and it's not even out yet over here in the Far East even though cinemas are STILL open (f### the what?!). And even when I was home for Christmas and due to see it in the New Year I was having such a good time at a pre-cinema meal we didn't even want to spoil the conversation by going into a darkened toom were you have to be quiet (PEOPLE WITH PHONES) and not having another drink. But now it's time to talk about one of the Academy's best movies that had all the nominations, but should have got more than a page of this period pieces classic costume design that dusts off the shelves of the iconic wardrobe Oscar. Period.
March madness is be now sadness in sports, so it's time to walk with the March sisters. As legendary 'Lady Bird' director Greta Gerwig (who we can't wait to see on screens again like '20th Century Women') brings us her magnum opus (how have the Academy singled her out of their voting individually again?) at the same time Netflix streams her husband Noah Baumbach's magnificent 'Marriage Story' with Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver playing 'Kramer vs Kramer'. Beginning with the poignant "I've had a lots of troubles, so I write jolly tales," Louisa May Alcott quote (her "housekeeping ain't no joke" one is no joke either) in her version of 'Little Women' (Alcott did also write a 'Little Men' book too for the record...but that ain't gonna happen fellas), the classic American tale (and my mother's favourite that her mother gave her that is important for me to mention) and story that has been scripted and adapted more times than the 'Doctor Sleep' of Stephen King. Most recently in a T.V. series and Winona Ryder, Kristen Dunst, Claire Danes, Christian Bale and Susan Sarandon's sweet 1994 'Little Women' movie. But this aesthetically iconic one takes it back to the good old matinee movies of 1992 like Brad Pitt's 'Legend Of The Fall', which made this perfect for a rainy day (like that even matters right now in this quarantine) like it was a Sunday. Meta rewriting this 1868 classic (the ending is self aware amazing) and the bible of coming of age as both a woman and a writer for a 2020 that has the hindsight of the Times Up era and Me Too movement to give the former man's world that was always nothing without a woman real vision. Although Alcott always had it in, "it takes two flints to make a fire" spades. But Gerwig reignites it here for the seventh seal of a time like "love is a great beautifier".
Reuniting with the 'Lady Bird' of 'Brooklyn' and 'Mary Queen Of Scots' amazing actress Saoirse Ronan, Great Gerwig gives us an actor/director combo like De Niro and Marty, or Scorsese and Leo, or DiCaprio and Tarantino. Ronan is a revelation in this remarkable movie, holding her stage in this all star epic ensemble, right from the first iconic perfect shot facing the frosty, frosted glass as she kicks in the door of 'August: Osage County' actor Tracy Letts' (whose speeding in Oscar nominated 'Ford vs Ferrari' movies as the Ford right now ("attaboy")) editor who slaps down paper pitched on the desk like he was winning a game of "down low...you're too slow", but will end up giving this woman's work its worth (attaboy). But Ronan isn't the only one that roams in this period classic here. Like 'Harry Potter' and 'Perks Of Being A Wildflower' page to screen icon Emma Watson, coming of age and grace like her 'Beauty and the Beast' live action, married to 'McMafia' and 'Grantchester's' James Norton. And a breakout Eliza Scanlen (of Aussie soap 'Home and Away' and HBO's adaptation of 'Gone Girl' writer Gillian Flynn's 'Sharp Objects' with Amy Adams) as Beth. But no one in this Academy famous fantastic four deserved their Oscar more than the scene stealing with new character dynamics, 'Supporting Actress' Florence Pugh, who isn't even at the peak of her run which features the NBC's 'Little Drummer Girl' and films like 'Lady Macbeth', 'Midsommar' and her as the sister of (this months) 'Black Widow' whenever that comes out in the end. Who holding her own even with the haircut above the rest Ronan and going up in category against her Marvel co-star Scarlett Johansson who did the double nomination with 'Jojo Rabbit' (those shoes) and 'Marriage Story' with Laura Dern, who should have done the one nomination double take here. A dear Dern deservedly won it for 'Story'. She should have won it for this one too. The 'Jurassic Park', "women inherit the world's" best since she went 'Wild' with 'Big Little Lies' co-star Reese Witherspoon. Pugh even pugilist goes rounds with the best of the best like young DiCaprio like 'King' and 'Call Me By Your Name' beautiful boy Timothee Chalamet, groundbreaking in an iconic scene here as he reunites with the 'Bird' double-act of Greta and Saoirse. And then there's 'Better Call Saul' star Bob Odenkirk getting good as the Gabriel Byrne father figure of his 'Little Woman'. To go along with the debonair Louis Garrel and an almost unrecognisable if it wasn't for his unmistakable voice, accented Chris Cooper (doing the Academy rounds right now with 'A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood'). But this all star role call isn't complete without Meryl Streep who probably has more Oscars than the Academy, with a 'Suffragette' supporting role whilst Saoirse Ronan becomes Carey Mulligan. And all this makes 'Little' one of the biggest movies of not only last year, but the last decade. Falling like Autumn leaves through the ice and into the warm festive feeling of Christmas morning with everyone hopefully home for the holidays (side note. It would be absolutely awful if this thing lasted all year, but somehow sweetly symbolic if it ended with us all coming together for the hallmark beauty and magic of Christmas). Hauntingly yet upliftingly emotional, Gerwig takes THE classic American story with agency and ownership like copyright to a brand new world, as we see the timeless, traditional craft that went into the way books were beautifully bound and magnificently made before they hit the press. Its time for you to look up from what you've read and see. Just like a real man knows a real woman when he sees her. To our mother's, sisters and lovers like Keys. A real man just can't deny a woman's worth. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Lady Bird', 'Marriage Story', 'Little Women (1994)'.
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