Great Expectations (1998) 3 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Ethan Hawke, Gwyenth Paltrow, Robert De Niro and Anne Bancroft.
What sets a classic above the rest is its timelessness and universality.
No matter how you bend or twist it, its themes transcend age and culture.
Thus it is with Great Expectations.
Screenwriter Mitch Glazer's loose adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel transports the tale of a poor orphan boy's rise to riches from 19th-century England to contemporary Gulf Coast Florida and New York City.
Glazer simplifies Dickens' complex tale, jettisoning some characters and subplots, while retaining the essence of the story.
Director Alfonso Cuaron, Glazer and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki have given the picture a fairy tale-like look, painting scenes - literally and figuratively - in broad strokes.
The once-majestic mansion of Miss Dinsmoor (the modern Miss Haversham) is a colorful collage of decay and neglect.
Dinsmoor herself, a courageous, eccentric interpretation by Anne Bancroft, mirrors her surroundings. Her clothes look as though they were shoveled upon her, while her garish makeup gives her the appearance of a walking cadaver.
Contrasting the outrageousness of Bancroft's performance is the intense, smoldering interplay between Ethan Hawke's Pip (now called Finn) and Gwyneth Paltrow's Estella.
When onscreen together, the two exude sensuality. Paltrow's feline air, her ice-princess persona as Estella is a fine counterpoint to Hawke's passionate, but somewhat innocent, Finn.
Paltrow's remoteness makes her a fitting Muse for Hawke's budding artist.
Their love scenes, a Glazer addition definitely not found in Dickens, are erotic and shimmering.
Helping the story along are the two young actors who portray Finn and Estella as youngsters. Jeremy James Kissner and Raquel Beaudene are dead ringers for their older counterparts.
Robert De Niro adds an air of menace as the escaped convict who turns Finn's life around, while Chris Cooper brings a decency and humanity to the role of Joe, Finn's uncle.
Purists may complain about Glazer's treatment, but, overall, this Great Expectations should hold the interest of young viewers and, perhaps, rekindle an interest in one of Dickens' better works.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or cbloom@iquest.net
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews