I am a 48 year old married man with two children aged 18(boy) and 16(girl).I enjoy reading, buying a...
I am a 48 year old married man with two children aged 18(boy) and 16(girl).I enjoy reading, buying and selling(anything) films,food and music, especially soul/Motown. I also have a long haired Chihuahua who is my shadow
Member since:29.01.2001
Reviews:67
Members who trust:10
One of the hardest things to do in the world of movie making is to recreate a classic and make a good job of it. Even harder than that is to bring the plot of the original up to date without losing the very essence of the original story.
The remake of Great Expectations attempts to do both of these things by setting the Charles Dickens original in modern day America. In my mind the attempt has been worthwhile as the finished product was beautiful to watch.
I guess if you are a big Charles Dickens fan then this film may not appeal as I can almost hear the cries of ‘How dare they meddle with a classic’. I take the view that any true classic, be it of the written form or otherwise, will easily adapt to the modern world, as it is the message within the story that holds the key to greatness.
This version starts off in the Gulf cost of Florida, where Fin (originally Pip) is
a young lad of 8. He lives a simple life in one of the poorer neighbourhoods around. His big love is drawing and he goes off on his own along the many beautiful beaches, sketching things as he finds them.
One day his world is changed forever when an escaped convict (Wonderfully played by Robert De Niro) finds him and forces him to help. Fin does so out of fear and the feelings of the moment remain in his mind through to adulthood.
Fin lives with his Uncle Joe who barely makes a living doing odd jobs for more wealthy people. One day Uncle Joe is asked to visit the home of the wealthy Nora Dinsmoor who lives in a wonderful old house. Unfortunately her house is falling into a state of disrepair as she was left at the altar 26 years ago and had not changed anything in the house since.
Anne Bancroft who seems to flourish in the role of the eccentric old lady plays Miss Dinsmoor. Living with Miss Dinsmoor is her 8-year-old niece Estella. Estella meets Fin and from that day on Fin is brought to the house once a week to play with Estella and for the amusement of Miss Dinsmoor. Uncle Joe is paid handsomely for allowing Fin to visit every week.
As time passes Fin grows to love Estella. Unfortunately Estella appears to have been influenced by her Aunt in being without any true feelings for men. It is as though Miss Dinsmoor has taught her niece that to be without true feeling is the safest way to make her way into the world. Also it will allow her to take revenge against all men for what had happened to her all those years ago.
So just at the point where Fin and Estella’s relationship appears to be blossoming, Estella is sent to Europe to attend school.
Fin carries on visiting Miss Dinsmoor for a while but gradually loses contact.
The next twist in the story is that Fin receives a visit from an attorney who represents someone whose identity is kept secret. Fin is asked to go to New York to put some of his drawings on display. All of his expenses are paid for and he therefore goes off to New York, where among other things he runs into Estella.
At this point I will refrain from giving away the plot as not to spoil your enjoyment of the film. If you know the original you are probably way ahead of me in any case.
Needless to say that events conspire to make Fin a success, although without true love how can this really be measured.
The identity of his mysterious benefactor becomes clear and the film takes you to an interesting conclusion.
As I’ve already mentioned De Niro and Bancroft put in stunning performances. The real stars though are Fin and Estella played by Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow. Miss Paltrow is a real beauty and the film is a good showcase for her talent.
Apart from the clever storyline, the film was superbly photographed, with many wonderful scenes of natural beauty. The soundtrack is also superb with a mix of songs that manage to capture the moment without stealing the scene.
So all in all I found this to be a wonderful film, which had me intrigued, enthralled and totally mesmerised.
If you’ve got a couple of hours to spare, put your feet up and lose yourself in this treat of a film.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2003 - Drama - Director: Michael Winterbottom - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Tim Robbins, Samantha Morton, Om Puri, Jeanne Balibar
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Wow what a bizarre idea to set this classic novel in modern America! And what a great cast! I'm going to have to check this out now! Excellent review! ~ Pete
KRISS2 29.02.2004 00:56
i saw this one a few months ago and i really like it. kriss
melee679 25.02.2004 17:25
i love this film, i have watched it countless times and it never fails to have me spellbound. one of my all time favourites... m Xx
The key ingredient in this modern-day version of Charles Dickens's classic is director ... more
Alfonso Cuarón, who made the glowing, estimableA Little Princess. If you saw that (and you should), understand thatExpectationshas those ingredients (great sense of ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
David Lean's handsome adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel captures the warm ... more
humour and richness of character that so many film-makers miss in their reverent recreations of Victorian England. From the nightmarish opening sequence on the windswe...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The moment young Finn sets eyes on Estella, she becomes his inspiration... and his ... more
obsession. Despite being warned, she'll only break your heart, he vows to win her love. Years later, thanks to a mysterious benefactor, aspiring artist Finn is off to Ne...
![Great Expectations [DVD] [1974]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78529598.jpg "Great Expectations [DVD] [1974]")
![Great Expectations [DVD] [1998]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78541247.jpg "Great Expectations [DVD] [1998]")
![Great Expectations [DVD] [1946]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78538723.jpg "Great Expectations [DVD] [1946]")
Aug 15th, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
