A Princesinha

This movie is on my short list of great live action family films. If you believe that every girl is a princess, this is the movie for you. Beautifully staged and shot, well-acted, superbly directed. This movie works from start to finish.

Some reviewers here on IMDb have slammed the film as overly sentimental. If you don't like movies with a sweet disposition, this isn't your film. Let's put it this way: if you think Frank Capra was the bane of American film-making, you're gonna hate this movie. If you judge films on a "the darker, the better" scale-why are you even watching this? Another caveat: I haven't read the book. The movie apparently takes great liberties with the book. If this kind of thing bothers you, stay away.

Alfonso Cuaron shows a deft handling of the sense of wonder here. When he was announced as the director of Harry Potter 3, his work on Little Princess made me confident he'd deliver the goods. One reviewer tried to declare that "Princess" was a calculated attempt by Cuaron to to get a gig on the Potter series. Impossible. "Princess" was released in 1995, and "Sorceror's/Philosopher's Stone" was PUBLISHED in 1998.

This is a small, quiet, sweet little film the entire family can enjoy, without insulting Mom & Dad's intelligence. It is the next step for all little girls who are starting to outgrow Belle/Ariel/Jasmine and the rest of the animated princesses. This Little Princess is real, and her story is worth watching.

Side note-little boys might not find the film engaging. It is kind of chick-flick for the tween set. That doesn't mean it's totally male-unfriendly. Fathers of daughters will be hard-pressed to avoid shedding a tear or two.

If you have a tween daughter, save some rental money and just buy it! She's going to watch it over and over.

This wonderful movie is based on Francis Burnet kids' classic novel . A sympathetic little girl is sent by her father(Liam Cunninghan in role dual as dad and prince Rama) to New York(the original is London) seminary school ruled by a grumpy headmistress(Eleonora Bron), while he's posted in European WWI. When her daddy is declared wounded and his memory is lost , then the penniless schoolgirl ought to work in the boarding house as a servant to pay her existence.

Marvelous rendition has Liesel Mattews as fanciful little girl and Liam Cunninghan as her lovely father and of course the spiteful governess well performed by Eleonora Bron. Besides appear as secondaries Vincent Schiavelli and the future great star Camilla Belle. Although many liberties are taken from original novel contains vivid performances and luxurious scenarios filmed on Burbank studios creating a nice film for children and adults. Spectacular production design by Bob Welch , adding a colorful cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki, director's usual. Evocative and imaginative musical score with oriental influence on the glamorous dreamt images .The motion picture is brilliant and stunningly directed by Alfonso Cuaron(Children of men,Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban, Great expectations). Another adaptations about this classic story are the following : the vintage version by Walter Lang(1939) with Shirley Temple and Ian Hunter(Liam Cunninghan lookalike role) and Mary Nash(Eagle-eyed Eleonora Bron character) and TV rendition (1987) by Carol Wiseman with Amelia Shankley and Nigel Havers.

I prefix my comments by stating that typically I enjoy the real tough guy movies -- movies with action and martial arts. I am a former boxer and martial artist that really likes the action movies like Bloodsport and Gladiator. One summer evening, I found myself babysitting my 11 year old niece, whom I adore. We were trying to find a movie at the local video store and the one movie that she wanted to see more than any other and had never gotten to was "A Little Princess". I finally gave in to her whims and rented it expecting to be bored out of my mind. Surprisingly, I found myself drawn into the movie and into the young lady's indomitable spirit. Throughout the trials and tribulations of her own life, she continued to worry about others and about making THEIR lives better and forgetting about HER own needs. This selfless action is very admirable. This should be everybody's philosophy on life. If there were more people in this world like this young lady, the world would be a MUCH better place.

A Little Princess is a great movie of friendship and hope. It shows that all little girls can be princesses regardless of race, appearance, or being a snob. The year is 1914 and little Sarah is forced to go to a school in New York, New York (after spending all her life in India) when her father must fight for Britain in the First World War. Immediately Sarah has made two foes, the head-mistress and founder Miss Minchin and Livinia the school bully. Miss Minchin doesn't like Sarah because Sarah is imaginative and smart. Livinia doesn't like Sarah because she is a threat to her popularity. When a tragic problem arises Sarah is reduced to a servant girl her friends show her that she doesn't need to give up on life. This movie is wonderfully heart touching with a great ending. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

This film reminds you what life's all about. Emmanual Luzbeki's cinematography demands praise- it's so stunningly beautiful one wonders why he didn't win the oscar. Indeed, this film is flawlessly scripted, acted, and executed, it is perhaps the definitive example of how the Academy oftentimes nominates based on box-office receipts, and not based on merit. *&#$() braveheart, THIS movie was the best film of 1995. And should have been nominated. No other film makes me tear up or cry as much for its brutal honesty, it's uncliched tenderness, and heartfelt truth about those ultimately human truths- love, kindness, and the magic of believing. Rarely does a film so positively move one's heart. Seek this film out. Go now.