Little Women (2019) Review

Title: Little Women
Year: 2019
Director: Greta Gerwig
Country: US
Language: English

Louise May Alcott's Little Women has been adapted for the screen, for radio, and for broadway for almost an entire century. Hollywood's features include two silent era pictures, George Cukor's 1933 adaptation starring Katherine Hepburn, Mervyn LeRoy's 1949 technicolor melodrama, Gilliam Armstrong's 1994 venture starring Winona Ryder and a Christian-friendly remake that was almost immediately forgotten about in 2018. Director Greta Gerwig attempts to make a Little Women that surpases the rest. 

Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters - four young women each determined to live life on their own terms. Meg March is played by Emma Watson, Amy March is played by Florence Plugh, and Beth March is played by Eliza Scanlen. 

Greta Gerwig's Little Women greatly emphasizes the importance of women as creatives. Gerwig downplays the imporance of marriage- emphasizing how silly it is that any of the sisters get married. Gerwig, like Alcott, stresses that women have more importance in life than just to serve men. The biggest scenes in Gerwig's adaptation highlight Jo's distaste for marriage and her yearning to be greater than the women of her generation. 

Gerwig's picture is less linear than Alcott's book; indeed events are rearranged to give each scene more thematic clarity. We return to the March household many times and, although it is just a setpiece, the house feels lively and vibrant. It is a character unto itself that has its own unque personality, much like each individual March sister. 

Incredibly well written, Greta Gerwig's Little Women is the best adaptation of the book I have seen so far. Though this may be blasphemy to say, Gerwig's adaptation is more accessible than Alcott's original book. The set design, the costumes, the acting, the music are all wonderful. Everything adds up to an instant classic. 

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019) Review

Title: Jay and Silent Bob Reboot

Year: 2019

Director: Kevin Smith

Country: US

Language: English

American Director Kevin Smith (Clerks) had a health scare in 2018 when he suffered a massive heart attack after performing stand-up comedy. Once weighing over 400lbs, Smith decided (it was this or die) to become serious about becoming healthier by adapting a vegan lifestyle and a tremendous amount of weight. On the road to recovery he decided to make the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, another entry in the Smith canon known as The Askewniverse. 

Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) return to Hollywood to stop a reboot of the 'Bluntman and Chronic' movie from getting made.

It's hard to be too critical of Jay & Silent Bob Reboot because one can easily see the passion and heart involved in its production. Smith made this picture thinking that he did not have much longer to live & it's clear he made the film with his fans in mind. There are many references to his movies; some subtle & many more overt. I'm not the biggest Smith fan, having only enjoyed Chasing Amy (1997), but I did enjoy seeing Ben Affleck's Holden McNeil one last time. 

Filled to the brim with star cameos, some of humour is enjoyable, like the moment with Val Kilmer, & some of it (such as Jay pretending to be Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs) is cringey and dated. The homophobic and transphobic jokes that are littered throughout the picture are quite unwelcome and mark a stain on an otherwise fairly enjoyable picture. "I'm Jay, he's silent bob. We're hetero lifemates" Yes we get it, you're not gay. 

It's not Kevin Smith's worst movie, but considering he has made Yoga Hosers that isn't saying much. If you completely shut your brain off, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot has a few scenes that will make you smile, though you'll still have to suffer through "comedy" about Jay getting pegged by his dream girlfriend. 

Harriet (2019) Review

Title: Harriet

Year: 2019

Director: Kasi Lemmons

Country: US

Language: English

Harriet Tubman is perhaps the most renowned woman in all of American History and yet, she has never been given the epic picture she truely deserves. A 4hr picture the scale of Gandhi (1982) is needed to encompass such an engrossing life, but all Harriet (2019) gives us is, well, bits and pieces of every slave movie made in the last thirty years. It's a surprisingly quite dull affair. 

Harriet tells the tale of Tubman's (Cynthia Erivo) escape and her desire to help in the Underground Railroad. 

At best Harriet could be considered an average made-for-tv lifetime movie that one would only put if there was absolutely nothing else. There are no interesting, inventive, or even a little bit enticing shots, the script feels like it was written by somebody who JUST learned about slavery, and the score is distracting in its desire to be emotionally manipulative. 

The oscar nominated acting by Cynthia Erivo is sub-par at best, which is surprising considering its the only nomination for any kind of minority. Did everybody avoid Waves, Last Black Man in San Francisco, Dolemite is My Name and/or Us? Plenty of African American movies did exceptionally better than Harriet in 2019. 

Harriet is a patronizing film that turns its remarkable main character into an Annie Oakely caricature. We're given a Wild West Myth rather than a sincere dissection of Tubman's wants, needs and goals. If you're going to try to do a Tarantino revision of history, you need the talent to pull it off & none of the people working on this film had that level of talent. 

Ford V. Ferrari (2019) Review

Title: Ford V. Ferrari
Year: 2019
Director: James Mangold
Country: US
Language: English

Ford V. Ferrari is a film that seems terrible miscast; mainly with the role of Ken Miles going to Christian Bale rather than Matthew McConaughey. Regardless of what happens to the character, Bale smiles like he's auditioning for the role of Lenny in Of Mice and Men. Hired for the biggest race of his life? Smiling. Fired from the biggest race of his life? Smiling. Hired back after being fired from the biggest race of his life? Smiling. Is this character meant to be an idiot? 

Ford Motor Company is determined to beat their bankrupt competition, Ferrari, at the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1966. Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) hires car manufacturer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to achieve this corporate goal. 

Ford V. Ferrari tries to be a critique of corporate interest, but comes off as a film about American exceptionalism.  Ford is the patriotic face of the show, while the foreign villain is the Italian Ferrari. There are some scenes where Shelby & Miles appear to be at odds with the almighty Ford, but each time they tow company line. Ford II wants Miles fired? Ok, he's fired. Ford II wants Miles rehired? Ok, he's back. Ford II wants Miles to slow down? Ok, he'll slow down. 

Much of the film is essentially just a higher budget Nascar broadcast. See cars go fast for two hours. Wow! What a concept! The exceptional cinematography gives the viewer some impressive views of...the outside of the car, the inside of the car, the side of the car and the crowds of people who are gawking at the cars. Ford V. Ferrari is the perfect picture for the braindead Southern hick. 

Ultimately it's a forgettable picture that represents the most boring of what 2019 has to offer. I struggled to get by this movie, even though I do enjoy most of the actors who are in it. James Mangold is a fairly decent director who should have been given better material to work with.