Review of A Little Princess (1995) by Aaron A — 05 May 2011

"all girls are princesses. Even snotty, two-face bullies like you, Lavinia!".

Synopsis: When her father enlists to fight for the Brits during World War I, Sara Crewe goes to New York to attend her late mother's boarding school and clashes with an overbearing headmistress, who attempts to stifle her creativity and sense of self-worth.

A little Princess is strikingly gorgeous, the art direction is absolutely phenomenal, and makes just about every minute of the film a feast for the eyes. However, a little princess has much more to offer than a well realized decorative environment. The direction is on par with the art direction as this film's best features. Scenes that are normally forgettable in other children's films are staged with such sophistication they take on a maturity that is rare in children's films.

The one aspect of the film I personally found off-putting was how all the children act as if they were grown adults, though it's probably more natural then I perceive, and is definitely a small price to pay for such a wonderful film.

A Little Princess is a sophistically directed, incredibly varied experience that should appeal to more than it's target audience of little girls, though it's unlikely it will disappoint them either. If I ever have a daughter, i'm definitely buying this picture.