Cinephile № 837 “Little Women”

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME

Plot: “Jo March reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters — four young women, each determined to live life on her own terms.” -IMDB

Review: In a year when an examination of the power dynamics that keep women from achieving in film or television began to truly take hold of the entertainment industry, I did not expect to find female empowerment in the retelling of a classic novel. Yet, in “Little Women” we find a story of ambition and independence. As Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) reflects on her life and how she arrived at her current state, we find four sisters committed to their craft and making a lasting impression on the world. As you watch this film, you will find yourself consumed by their energy and belief that anything is possible.

Among their lessons and expressions of charity, there is a love of writing, performing, and painting. Jo desperately wants to believe she and her sisters can achieve anything in this world without bowing to the expectations of men. This steadfast belief causes a rift between her sisters as each struggle in their own way to make a living and fulfill their purpose. For Jo, this will mean a reckoning or acceptance. A trial she will have to come to terms within her own creative expression.