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Summary: Nell Campbells return to film!
Review: An excellent film which features Nell Campbell's return to film in YEARS! A must see for Little Nell Fans!
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Summary: New look, new music, good film.
Review: Go along with Pip through the ups and downs of life. What a ride
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Summary: "My Heart Is Broken"; Very Romantic Version of Dickens Novel
Review: Argualbly Charles Dickens' most accomplished novel "Great Expectations" has much to offer; social satire, comedy, thriller, and romance. If you want most romantic film version of this beloved novel, you should watch this one. Mexican Alfonso Cuaron changed all the settings of the original more radically than in his previous work, excellent "Little Princess." Pip, a lonely boy who is raised by his sister, is now called Finn, who draws pictures for a beautiful but cool girl Estella. Yes, as in the novel, Pip/Finn encounters this woman of fate in the garden of deserted house where eccentric Ms. Dinsmoor (= Miss Havisham of the original) lives her secluded life. There is no muddy marshes of Rochester, England, but the place is changed to Florida, USA, and Finn, who is raised by kind fisherman Joe, unexpectedly gains a chance to be an aspiring artist in New York with a help from unknown benefactor. The plot change may dismay some fans of the book, but David Lean's acclaimed version of "Great Expectations" has also changed its ending, so let's not talk about it. Cuaron intentionaly dropped all the satrical aspects of the novel so that we can be immersed in the world of romance between Ethan Hawke's Finn and Gwyneth Paltrow's Estella. Both actors hold the center of the romancic relationship well, and we have good help from Anne Bancroft (a bit campy Dinsmoor) and Robert DeNiro. And you also can witness then comparatively unknown Chris Cooper's wide range of acting. But the greatest merit of the film comes from the team behind these actors; the dazzling photography of Emmanuel Lubezki ("Little Princess") gives life to the director's trademark color green, and Patrick Doyle ("Sense and Sensibility") provides fantastic score for the scenes. And most of all, we must remember the name of the real painter of Finn's drawings, Francesco Clemente, whose uniquely sensual style infuses power and authenticity to the character of Finn. (If you want to see this hugely talented Italy-born genius, watch "Good Will Hunting," where he appears briefly as a hypnotist.) Naturally, this kind of interpretation of classic novels can be risky, and "Great Expectations" has to pay some price. The film loses its momentum a little in latter half, owing to less amount of romance seen in this part -- this is one of the rare cases in which New York on screen is not as fascinating as it should be. And because of the story's twist concerning DeNiro's character, I am afraid that some may be led to doubt the artistic values of Finn's pictures. Don't be wrong; Finn's (or Clemente's) talent is a real thing.
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Summary: Excellent adaptation of a classic tale
Review: "Great Expectations" (1998) This film is a cinematic masterpiece due to its colorful scenes that seem to be painted onto the screen in a perfectly precise style. "Great Expectations" is rich with imagery and a wonderful story line based on Charles Dickens' classic tale. It strays from the novel enough to make the story a more visual experience. The time period is changed to present day, but this adaptation works for the best. It allows a modern audience to identify with this classic tale in a way that would be impossible if the film were set in the 19th century. Finnegan Bell falls hopelessly in love with Estella from the first moment he lays eyes on her and proceeds throughout his life in continual pursuit of her love by attempting to become "worthy" of her. He is an orphan raised by his abusive sister and her fisherman husband, Joe. Estella is the niece of the richest lady in the state, Ms. Nora Diggers Dinsmoor. Ms. Dinsmoor requests Finn's presence at her mansion, Paradiso Perduto, on a weekly basis as a playmate for Estella and to entertain herself. Ms. Dinsmoor was left at the altar by her fiancée in prior years and has become a bitter old lady who scorns all men and believes none can be worthy of a woman's love. She schools Estella in this manner, which explains Estella's cold behavior and her rejection of Finn as anything more than a toy for her to play with his emotions. The story is told through Finn's eyes and from his perspective on what occurs as he grows up and learns about life. He has the ability to paint fabulously, a gift he has had since birth, and he uses this gift to express himself and his emotions throughout his life. It becomes a road to success and to Estella, but he loses sight of his joy and love for the art. Success becomes a trap for him when he realizes that there is more to life than himself and his own feelings. He truly grows up and even though he always loves Estella, learns what he wants out of life and how to accomplish it. "Great Expectations" is wonderfully cast, with Ethan Hawke doing an extraordinary job as the lovelorn Finn. He is believable and invokes much sympathy from the audience. Gwyneth Paltrow is superb as Estella, who conjures some hostility because of her rejection of Finn, but at the same time is capable of evoking sympathy. The way she acts is not her fault because she does not know any better. Robert De Niro puts in an excellent performance as the escaped convict who scares Finn as a young boy and has a major influence on his life. Anne Bancroft is wonderful as the eccentric Ms. Dinsmoor who acts out her hostility towards men through Estella. This film is one of the most picturesque and beautifully cinematic films I have ever seen. From the first scene until the last, each shot is carefully stylized to make the most of the scenery and the story. The theme of Finn's paintings is begun in the opening credits, with his paintings as the background and the credits appearing on the screen as if in rippling water. Each shot is precisely stylized to evoke certain emotions from the audience and to tell the story as Finn remembers it. The film looks as though many different paintings were put together to create a coherent story. The film is very peaceful, as seen through Finn's paintings and the slow, romantic musical background, but at times is jarred to reality by the people coming into Finn's life who influence him. The film can appear as if in a dream state while Finn is thinking about certain occurrences in his life, but then an event happens that shows him just how large and threatening the world is capable of being. This gives him to a new understanding of the world and his place within it. This tragic tale is given an optimistic Hollywood ending, but in my opinion, this is appropriate. It leaves some hope, even though small, of Finn reaching his ultimate goal in life of finding himself and being free of the past, "like love, completely undeserved".
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Summary: Dickens Not by the Book, But by the Heart
Review: This film loosely follows the plotline of Dickens' classic novel of the same name, but with a modern twist. Pip, called Finn in the movie is cast as an artist from Florida whose benefactor sends him to New York to become a great artist. His love interest in Estella (played spectacularly by Gwyneth Paltrow) is expanded to include some steamy scenes: Finn painting her naked, and later having sex with her, which go far beyond the scope of Dickens' book. It all culminates with Finn and Estella on the beach of Ms. Dinsmoor's house coming together at last (which is pretty close to the book). One must approach this film as a modern adaptation of a classic book that does not aim to replicate the text by the numbers, but rather by the heart of the story. As such, the film has value when taken in that context. It must also be noted that Robert DeNiro's subway scene, when he reveals to Finn that he is his benefactor, is one of DeNiro's best performances. Truly moving! That said, this film is worth more than a cursory viewing.
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Summary: "Somebody wants to turn this frog into a prince."
Review: With a sensational cast, haunting music, and great cinematography, this modern adaptation of Dickens's novel is far more fun and far more provocative than the original, however much one might like that novel. Set in a contemporary Gulf Coast village in Florida, Finnegan Bell (Ethan Hawke) is brought up by Joe (Chris Cooper), the lover of his sister, who has abandoned them both. A working class boy with a love of fishing and a gift for artwork, Finn is ten when escaped murderer Arthur Lustig (Robert DeNiro) surfaces one day while Finn is out exploring tidal pools. After helping him, Finn later forgets him.
Finn eventually meets Nora Dinsmore (Anne Bancroft), the richest woman in town, and her niece Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow), whom he has been hired to visit every Saturday. When Estella goes away to school, Finn loses touch with both of them, until, years later, he is suddenly invited to New York to show his artwork. A mysterious trust supports him, and he reconnects with Estella and all the other characters from the past.
Director Alfonso Cuaron and screenwriter Mitch Glazer have created a modern story of obsession and revenge. Nora Dinsmore, who was jilted on the day of her wedding, thirty years before, has been training Estella, over the years, to tease and then destroy the men who love her. Anne Bancroft plays Nora to the hilt as a funky and exotic caricature, heavily made up, carrying a cigarette holder and martini glass, while gyrating to erotic music and chanting "Chick-a-boom." DeNiro is a vicious Lustig, and his first appearance is a shocker. Ethan Hawke, as Finn, does a good job, though he is hard pressed to hold his own when the rest of the cast is camping it up. Paltrow, as Estella, is coldly calculating in her sexual teasing, and lacking the vulnerability one expects. Chris Cooper, as the sympathetic Joe, provides the perfect foil for the other characters at key points in the film.
The lush cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezky) features Spanish moss, the eerie and dilapidated old house of Nora Dinsmore, lovely scenes of tidal pools and wild nature, and the hot New York art and café world. The director and producers have chosen nine different composers, ranging from Tory Amos to Iggy Pop, to create appropriate music for a succession of very different scenes, and they succeed in creating a haunting mood and atmosphere. Though the ending is abrupt and trite, the cast is terrific, and the film is great fun, especially in its contrasts to the Dickens novel. Mary Whipple
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Summary: AMERICAN EXPECTATIONS
Review: I went into this not expecting a lot. But from the very first few frames I was drawn into the story. Yes, I have read the Dickens novel in High School. Contrary to some, I kinda liked the book. But you could totally ignore the Dickens angle and enjoy this film. That being said, I was highly amused that the director chose Florida as Pip/Finn's boyhood home. The setting and the further choice of the Florida fishing culture brought a depth to the story I did not catch in the novel. New York City as the "big city" may have been a cliché; but then New York City is the center of the art world as far as America is concerned. Mr. Hawke may have the misfortune of being paired with great actors in almost every scene in this film. Because of this, I believe the talent and ability he brings to the film may be overlooked. For the most part, Hawke is on screen with either Anne Bancroft, Robert De Niro, Hank Azaria, or Gwyneth Paltrow. Although the story is supposed to be about Pip/Finn, our focus flows away from Hawke to any one of these actors. Gwyneth Paltrow is a pretty woman but she is not fantastically beautiful as others would have her. I think this actually works to her advantage in that her beauty does not overshadow her personal charm. This allows her magic to actually work on the audience. Much is made of the nude scenes in this film; but the truth is that very little is actually shown. It is more suggested than revealed. But their effect is very electric. More effective are the surprised kisses of Hawke and Paltrow over drinking fountains. Simply the "best" kisses I have seen on film in a long time, Most of us lose patience with great works of art dressed up in modern garb. For the most part, Shakespeare in space suit costumes is not nearly as interesting as many in the "creative community" seem to believe. But this version of Great Expectations really works in unexpected ways. Not a great film-but an absorbing one nonetheless.
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Summary: Raising the Dickens
Review: Remakes are risky business. Director Alfonso Cuaron's modernized Great Expectations proves the point. Charles Dickens' engaging, heart-warming, and admittedly plot-manipulated classic fares less well in this glitzy adaptation. Ethan Hawke plays Finn (Dickens' Pip) in his rags to riches rise from Florida fisherman to New York artist. But his character lacks depth. The same is true for Gwnyeth Paltrow's hard-hearted but bewitching Estella. The "minor" but veteran players eclipse both in the film. Ann Bancroft plays a convincing Miss Dinsmoor (Miss Havisham), Estella's jilted guardian. But Robert de Niro steals the show, just as does the money, as Arthur (Magwitch) the escaped convict. The novel's involved and coincidental story line is perhaps to blame, since the script allows for little character development in the lead roles. Still, director Cuaron finds time for some gratuitous sex scenes, hoping to grab a risky enough rating (R), to seduce young viewers into the theater. (Dickens would have raised the dickens about that!) The cinematography, at times an excessive eye candy, does please, however. And the film does entertain in a syrupy way. That said, Great Expectations suffers from (what else?) great expectations - arising from headline actors cast in a predictable film. It is, nonetheless, better than the average bore.
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Summary: Beatiful movie-I love green too
Review: I am ashamed to tell that I have not read the book, hopefully I will. But I liked this movie, it is beautiful and sensual. The plot is about a poor boy who falls in love with cold beautiful rich girl living with her eccentric aunt. She breaks his heart, but he is lucky enough to be a famous artist after being sponsored by an ex criminal becoming rich whom he helped when he was a kid.
I watched it as a love story though some moral is hinted (I believe the book has more philosophy and morals)The atmosphere is so captivating with greens, the crazy aunt, the kids dancing, the super music, the beautiful sketches, that one does not care if this is a sensible movie with well constructed characters and supporting dialogues. Well, it is not, anyway...
Finally, here goes a beautiful movie, a delight to watch and listen especially if you like romance. A must [see]
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Summary: What can I say, I LOVE this movie
Review: Actually worship is probably more fitting. I never read the Dickens book, and don't plan to...this movie surpasses any great expectations about the book I have. This is just the most visually beautiful movie I have ever seen. Not just the leads, who are georgeous, but the settings and the music as well. I like Gwyneth and Ethan as actors in general and have always thought they are 2 of the finest that generation X has to offer. But in this movie, they are spectacular. These were Oscar caliber performances and impossible to recreate in any previous effort of this tale. A main plus, is the fact that Alfonso Cuaron directed this movie, which is why it is so stunning to look at (his film A Little Princess is just at mesmerizing, although not as good in my opinion). But everytime I watch this movie, something else stands out and amazes me even more...it's just a hypnotic movie to watch. And the score that plays throughout is one of the greatest ever, and really allows you to FEEL the emotion and pain and anger than Finn feels. The same could be said for Mono's beautiful song over the credits. Just all around great film making and acting for any fans of truly magnificent movies.
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