# Great Expectations (1998)

### reviewed by
Jamie Peck

    GREAT EXPECTATIONS

    RATING: *** (out of ****)

20th Century Fox / 1:51 / 1998 / R (langauge, violence, muted sex) Cast: Ethan Hawke; Gwyneth Paltrow; Anne Bancroft; Robert De Niro; Chris Cooper; Hank Azaria; Josh Mostel; Jeremy James Kissner; Raquel Beaudene Director: Alfonso Cuaron Screenplay: Mitch Glazer

Studio expectations must not have been high for "Great Expectations" -- the film's release date was pushed from late December to late January at what appeared to be the last minute, therefore putting any Academy Awards chances it has off until this time in 1999. It's actually a smart move, because while this updated take on the Charles Dickens tale isn't quite Oscar fodder, it *is* strong enough to be distinguished from the cinematic dumping ground that usually makes up the first five or six weeks of any given year. "Great Expectations" also demonstrates how to modernize a classic story right, especially after the excruciatingly wretched excesses of Baz Luhrmann's "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet."

"Great Expectations" opens somewhere in 1970s Florida (the original story is set in 19th-century England), as eight-year-old Finn (Jeremy James Kissner) meets a trio of people who will have a profound effect on his life in the future. There's icy, 11-year-old Estella (Raquel Beaudene), a pseudo-playmate of Finn's; Ms. Dinsmoor (Anne Bancroft), Estella's auntie who's quite off-kilter over a past romance that never took off; and a mysterious prisoner (Robert De Niro) whom Finn saves the life of. Finn, who lives with his sister's affable boyfriend (Lone Star's Chris Cooper), fancies himself an aspiring artist, and proves his prowess by whipping up an unusual portrait of Estella using only Ms. Dinsmoor's lipstick, eyebrow pencil and the wallpaper from her dilapidating mansion.

Flash forward into the '90s (after a brief stop in the '80s), and Finn (now played by Ethan Hawke), despondent over a strange hot-and-cold relationship with the elusive Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow), receives quite a bit of money from an unknown benefactor; it's enough cash to send him to New York to focus on a career in art. There, Finn seems to gain everything he could ever want -- wealth, prestige and a high place in the glamorous art world. When Estella resurfaces -- albeit with an aloof fiancé (Hank Azaria) -- Finn also sees the chance to renew their mutual attraction. But she's not the only ghost from Finn's past that's going to be paying him a visit.

Comparisons with the afore-mentioned "Romeo + Juliet" seem inevitable since these films are the only ones in recent memory to plop classic drama into a current setting. "Great Expectations" is a much better venture, though, because it treats its source with even-handed respect, where "Romeo" was never quite sure whether to be a spoof, a homage or both. The movie is a visual banquet thanks to Emmanuel Lubezki's sexy cinematography; notably, he captures a revisited fountain kiss between the two leads with a luscious, erotic charge that's steamier than the film's (surprisingly muted) love scenes. The eclectic rock soundtrack compliments the on-screen action beautifully, especially new songs by Tori Amos, Mono and Duncan Sheik.

Acting credits are first-rate, often hiding the screenplay's occasional slip-ups. Hawke is sincere and solid as a leading man (something we also learned from "Gattaca"), and his Finn is quite a likeable guy. Paltrow's Estella, on the other hand, is rather underdeveloped. While the actress is at her icily seductive best, we're not told very much about her character, and as a result, it's often hard to understand why Finn would appreciate her beyond a physical level (but, oh, *what* a physical level); sometimes, we root for Finn although we don't quite understand why she's fueling his fire. Robert De Niro is nice and sophisticated in the benevolent kind of role he rarely gets to play; on the other end of the acting spectrum is Bancroft, a macabre, throaty delight who mambos and sucks down cigarettes with an eerie enthusiasm that would make Norma Desmond jealous.

Alfonso Cuaron's visually elegant direction helps to distract from the dry moments that pop up more frequently around the movie's climax. Another problem is predictability; you can guess your way through the plot even if you aren't familiar with the story. Despite its script flaws, though, "Great Expectations" is undeniably romantic without being corny or gloppy. And frankly, it's nice to see a film that embraces softened sensuality other than explicit sexuality. Perhaps that renovated release date, awfully close to Valentine's Day, will end up helping "Great Expectations"' seemingly average box office chances after all.

© 1998 Jamie Peck E-mail: jpeck1@gl.umbc.edu Visit the Reel Deal Online: http://www.gl.umbc.edu/~jpeck1/

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