Great Expectations (1998)

Summary: After being left at the alter, Ms. Dinsmoor (Anne Bancroft) teaches her niece, Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow), to break men's hearts. Her premiere project is a painter, Finn (Ethan Hawke), who inexplicably becomes the recipient of a large endowment years later and pursues both his art and his love in New York.

Okay, I found that really hard to sum up. It's actually not that complex a plot, but I felt like if I wrote anything that I was actually thinking it would give it all away. There should be some element of surprise, I hope.

That said, today is the first time in what seems like a long time that I have actually read the book and seen the movie. Charles Dickens is fantastic, I cannot deny it, but this is not a film version of his great novel. This is an adaptation of his work: the characters and the plot are basically the same, but they are obviously set in a completely different world. Plus, the characters of Finn and Pip are merged, which saves time and energy. Mitch Glazer's screenplay is in keeping with the themes and characterizations of Dickens', but Glazer's Estella is a wee bit nicer, if you can believe it.

Paltrow's performance is ever-so-slightly uninspired, and we all know that I'm not going to talk about Hawke. (Stupid talent and good looks! Stupid!) Bancroft chews up the scenery as the insane aunt, positively stealing every scene she's in. I didn't mention it before, but two of my fav actors are also in this film: Robert DeNiro and Chris Cooper. Anyone ever is lucky to share the screen with DeNiro, and I think that Cooper has begun to bring his slow burn to a boil. I wait with bated breath to see where he goes next.

I could marry Emmanuel Lubezki and Alfonso Cuaron for their cinematography and direction, respectively. Paradiso Perduto is a fantasy wonderland, and the entire film is alive in green. Everything, everywhere is green, a million different beautiful and stirring shades at once. I am overwhelmed by it.

If you just want to know what happens in the novel, get Cliffs Notes. If you are seeking more for what Dickens was suggesting, take a peek at what this film has to offer.