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Directed by: Gillian Anderson Starring: Winona Ryder, Christian Bale, Susan Sarandon, Kirsten Dunst, Claire Danes This film, the most recent film version of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel "Little Women," was released in 1994 when I was ten years old. I have seen it approximately ten million times since then, but it wasn't until this past year that I realized that even though I'd never thought of it as one of my all-time favorite movies, it was one of very few films that I could watch over and over and over and never get tired of. There aren't even any single scenes that bore me, or through which I want to fast-forward. I feel completely engaged every single time. There's no getting around the fact that it's a completely gyno-centric period piece about the lives of four young women growing up during the Civil War, dealing with issues of love and family and all the decisions and complications that come with growing up into adults. You very well may not be able to get past that. I'm sure I'd never feel this attached to a movie about four brothers, although if it was well-made I could appreciate it. But putting aside the subject matter, this is a great movie. It's got a ton of plot going on, but the stories are drawn from the characters, not overshadowing them or manipulating them arbitrarily. You understand who the characters are and get to know and like them without having to sit through a lot of introspective and expository monologues. There's a lot of great humor and strong dialogue. The casting is brilliant; all the actors do excellent work and are enjoyable to watch. (The one misstep, as mentioned under "Cons" and in most reviews of the film, is the character of Amy changing halfway through the film from the wonderful Kirsten Dunst, 12 years old at the time and following up her role in "Interview With the Vampire", to the much blander and more solemn Samantha Mathis.) Winona Ryder and Christian Bale especially shine as Jo and Laurie, respectively. But everyone's pretty much perfect. I can't think of much else to add; it's a great story and it's told about as well as it could possibly be told. It would probably make a good date video. Hey, if all else fails and you just can't relate, at least it's got Christian Bale. You guys like Christian Bale. RATING: 4.5 PROS: Funny, engaging, intelligent, touching CONS: Occasionally overly sentimental; Kirsten Dunst turns into Samantha Mathis ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110367/
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Dec 27, 2004 05:17
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 12:04 |
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