Les quatre filles du docteur March

Truth be told, I usually write reviews when I don't like what I saw, check the ones I entered for I'm not lying and in this opportunity, it is somehow not the case and yet... Honestly, it was a bit weird to watch so many British actors and actresses in a famous well told (and loved) American book but, hey! They carried it through so hats off, Angela Lansbury even got me to love Aunt March, that was a first.

Now, seeing Uma and Ethan's daughter making her debut, that was also OK, she pulled it too, now, I'm not so sure about the rest of the cast. Little Women was, and still is, a favourite of mine from my early childhood. It is a book that is so easy to revisit from time to time and be welcomed by the Marsh family, you can and will fall for at least one of them... and that's, perhaps, what I found most difficult in this adaptation. In spite of my attemps and their good intentions, I couldn't fall for any of the girls; Mrs Marsh, Emily Watson did a perfect job, an almost predictable role got some substance. It is the first time, as the other reviewer points that we get to see something else but the saintly image that is usually portraited in this character.

However, I'm not going to lie, it is almost impossible to dissociate my mind from the 1994 movie for it is a classic, they took 3 books into one movie and it felt right, everything fell into place. Sadly, I cannot say the same here, they had even more time to include a lot of details and yet, felt (again, it's just me, you don't have to agree) a bit rush. They chose to erase some scenes and included them later on to no avail, Beth and Mr March, what happened there!? Nothing for it was not included when it is really important in the whole story!

I won't say I loved it but I havent' disliked it either. In doubt, always, go back to the books and then to the 1994's adaptation. This felt... bland. It lacks... no drama, power, yes, that would be world. It lacks something, which is a pity, for it was a chance to tell again this beautiful story and even go straight forward for they usually stop before the Litlte Men books' start.

One day, maybe, someone would take the time to do it. Watch it, you won't dislike it but I can't promise you'll love it either.

Little Women (TV Mini-Series 2017) was a BBC/Masterpiece Theater production directed by Vanessa Caswill. This novel lends itself to the world of cinema, and many good versions are available. However, I liked this one best.

Maya Hawke does very well as Jo, which couldn't have been easy, because she's very beautiful and Jo is supposed to be the plain one. Kathryn Newton plays Amy March, who is beautiful but "willful." Willa Fitzgerald portrays Meg March, the most beautiful and most conventional sister. Annes Elwy plays Beth, who is extremely shy. Elwy is Welsh, and speaks Welsh, but I didn't hear any accent when she played the role.

Angela Lansbury plays Aunt March perfectly. Believe it or not, I thought she was even better than Maggie Smith(!).

Mark Stanley plays Professor Bhaer, which is a difficult role. Directors have protrayed Professor Bhaer as old and stodgy, in which case you wonder what Jo had in mind. Other directors have made the character young and handsome, and so Jo's choice is a no-brainer. I think director Caswill got this casting exactly right. Somewhat older, but not stodgy, and just handsome enough to attract a young woman like Jo.

My favorite actor in the movie was Emily Watson who played Marmee. She is a highly experienced English actor. (Again, no trace of an accent.) She looks like the character she portrays--saddened and toughened by a life of genteel poverty. Raising four very different daughters on her own could not have been easy, but Watson allows us to believe she could do it. Just her work alone would be enough to make me recommend the movie.

This version of Little Women was made for TV as a three-part miniseries. Three hours of screen time gave director Caswill the opportunity to address most of the many plot lines in the novel. We saw the movie on DVD, and we could have watched it as a single long movie. However, we watched it in three one-hour episodes, as intended by the producers. Either way will work.

Little Women has a pretty good IMDb rating of 7.2. I thought that it was much better than that, and rated it 9.

I've enjoyed every adaptation of Little Women that I've seen, and this was no exception. As someone who enjoys comparing adaptations across time, I find the story told in this newer style of acting, directing, music etc. a valuable addition to the collection. Some people may not like aspects such as scenes of the Civil War where Father is, and this is the first time we see any of Meg's labour, but for me neither is excessive and both are worth including.

This adaptation isn't perfect, any more than its predecessors are perfect, but let me not list my small gripes here. I found it overall well written, well acted and well cast. The descriptions of the characters were clearly considered when casting (if not 100% adhered to), which is a nice touch and the cherry on top of the actors' generally fine performances. In particular I found Meg engaging, Aunt March very satisfying and Laurie almost straight from the pages of the book, while Father is (I feel) a loyal interpretation yet unlike any I have seen before.

I have read Little Women so many times that I have lost count and was looking forward to seeing this rendition. What a disappointment. As others have mentioned the acting is mediocre at best and the script seems trite. I only watched about half of it and then tuned out.

If you're a fan of the book, you'll enjoy this series. I've read the book several times, and was glad I chose this version of Little Women to watch over my holiday break.

If you haven't read the book you may feel the acting is a little flat or the speech odd in places. But I've found that movies and mini series that stay true to the older books they were written often after aren't as dramatic what we're accustomed to. They didn't try to modernize the show. It remains the same wholesome story about the March family's struggles living in the US during the mid-to-late 1800's.

The March family is middle class. Enough money to have food on the table, a comfortable home, and one servant. But not enough to buy much that is new or to afford travel as their wealthier neighbors do. They are concerned about those around them who are less fortunate, and sacrifice of themselves to care for others. The daughters' personalities vary - with a tomboy, a "princess", and two girls whose personalities fall in between. There is war, death, love, friendship... Basically it's just about real life, and well worth watching in my opinion.