Alfonso Cuaron's A Little Princess of one of the most gorgeous, sumptuous, painstakingly detailed films I've ever seen. It sets up its characters with a primal love and simple care which really makes you identify with them, and really tugs on the heartstrings when peril befalls them. I don't know if it won an award for production design but it damn well should have. The lavish 1920s New York they have created is a a breathtaking marvel, full of beautiful period accurate costumes, ornately designed building interiors, and smoky, desperate NY streets. Liesel Matthews is electrifying as Sarah Crewe, an Army Captain's daughter who is left at a high end school for girls in the heart of the city, when her father goes to war. There she meets other girls, both friendly and unfriendly, and falls under the prudish eye of the stern, unpleasant headmistress (Eleanor Bron). Sarah, taught the ways of optimism, kindness and understanding by her wonderful father (Liam Cunningham in a stunning performance of subtle anguish and heartfelt devotion), is a force of healing and reconciliation for her new friends, urging each of them in their own way to face their problems, and better themselves. All but the cold headmistress, who is so damaged by whatever unfortunate past that she is unreachable. Bron plays her not as a wicked caricature, but a deeply broken woman who just can't comprehend what it's like to love or be loved anymore. Cuaron takes the material from the book, paired with the excellent screenplay and treats the world and characters not in a kid friendly, sugar coated way, but throws real characters into an undeniably harsh WW1 environment and respects each performer to bring complex, realized characters to the screen. Considering most of the players are no older than twelve, that's a pretty outstanding feat of collaboration. And did I mention the production design? It's simply a jaw dropping wonder of artistic creation, each new set piece buzzing with atmosphere and tangible life. I seriously wish there was a Blu Ray. This is my favourite Cuaron film (maybe tied with Gravity) and one of the most mature, seriously taken child orientated films of the 1990's.
Review of A Little Princess
