adrian lyne's previous films ( 9 and 1/2 weeks , fatal attraction , etc ) have dealt with the nature of sexual attraction and obsession , and his adaptation of vladimir nabokov's controversial 1958 novel lolita further explores these themes . however , free of the strict moral and censorship code that shaped stanley kubrick's 1962 version , lyne is able to explore the novel in far more detail . where kubrick largely alluded to the nature of the relationship between humbert and his precocious 12 year old step daughter , lyne is able to explore it in franker terms . however , lyne's intelligent and sensitive handling of the provocative material and his sense of restraint is unexpected . lolita is nowhere near as sexually explicit or torrid as its detractors would have us believe , but is rather a more poignant and evocative tale of a tragically doomed and illicit love affair . many writers , including james drearden , harold pinter , and even david mamet , have attempted to write a more contemporary flavoured adaptation of lolita , but lyne found the perfect collaborator in former vanity fair film critic stephen schiff , whose lyrical and melancholy script seems to capture much of the book's flavour . the two central performances are powerful and complex and enhance the movie . jeremy irons brings his usual pained and haunted expression to the character of humbert humbert , the refined english professor who comes to new england to take up a teaching assignment in 1947 . humbert is still marked by the loss of an adolescent love that has haunted him for the past quarter of a century . he is initially reluctant to take up lodging with the man hungry widow charlotte haze ( melanie griffith ) , until he spies her beautiful young daughter dolores ( newcomer dominique swain ) . despite her childish demeanour , dolores arouses long forgotten feelings in humbert . he eventually marries charlotte , just so he can be close to dolores , and successfully manages to avoid most of his husbandly duties . for a long time charlotte misreads the attraction between humbert and her daughter . following the death of charlotte , humbert and dolores set out on a journey across an america slowly recovering from the war and emerging with a recognition of its own identity and culture . irons brings sophistication and urbane charm to the role , and makes humbert something of a sympathetic figure . he convincingly conveys humbert's ever increasing sense of guilt and remorse . his voice over narration provides insight into his obsession , and also adds some touches of droll humour . lyne uses some neat cinematic tricks to illustrate humbert's disquieting inner nightmares as he begins to lose control of the relationship . irons gives a confident and convincing performance in this tricky role , whereas james mason always seemed uncomfortable . in a remarkably assured debut performance , swain ( who went on to play nicolas cage's daughter in the action thriller face/off ) is a wonderfully seductive and manipulative nymphet . swain beautifully mixes childlike innocence with an earthy quality and a smouldering sexuality that sears across the screen . frank langella ( from dave , etc ) is truly creepy as the enigmatic and predatory quilty . in the early stages , he is mainly seen in shadows and gloomy lighting , which gives him a sinister , mysterious and somehow menacing quality . lyne's adaptation of lolita finally reaches our screens , following a year of protracted debate over whether it is pornography or art , and whether it should be banned . not since martin scorsese's the last temptation of christ has a film had so much free pre-publicity , which certainly won't harm it at the box office . far from glorifying paedophilia , as most of the film's detractors have claimed , lolita ends badly and tragically for all concerned . in fact , the most disturbing scene is the taxi driver-like violence at the end when humbert confronts the monstrously amoral quilty in his own mansion . the film is visually rich , and has a beautiful , glossy , almost romantic surface that seduces the audience , despite its dubious subject matter . howard atherton's exquisite cinematography brings to life the rich american landscapes through which humbert and lolita travel on their odyssey . ennio morricone's lush score further enriches the movie . 
