Great Expectations

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hank Azaria, Chris Cooper, Anne Bancroft, Robert De Niro, Josh Mostel, Kim Dickens, Nell Campbell, Stephen Spinella, Lance Reddick
Directed by: Alfonso Cuaron
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Finn (Ethan Hawke) attempts to build a better life for himself while being haunted by the woman (Gwyneth Paltrow) he loves but lost.

Review:

Tim: I like Charles Dickens and I like Alfonso Cuaron, so I was a little surprised I didn't like this movie more. It's a decent, harmless film. But, it's not nearly as effective as I would have liked. It updated Dickens' classic for modern times, which was all the rage in the late 1990s (updating classics with a modern setting). The movie is decent- it mostly works and is entertaining. It never truly grabs hold of the audience, but it does just enough to retain our attention. It just feels like a film that doesn't do anything truly impressive.

I mostly liked the way the story was presented. We certainly grow to identify with Ethan Hawke's character. It helps that he's a good actor and likable enough to draw the audience in. He's the main character and we do develop a bit of a connection with him. His story is interesting and presents enough twists and turns to keep us intrigued. Cuaron does a good job of establishing Hawke as the lead, while letting the supporting cast shine as well. Gwyneth Paltrow is perhaps the most memorable outside of Hawke. Her performance is a good one, although we never quite know what to make of her character. She's certainly unlikable, but there is something about her that pulls your eye and attention to her. She hits the right notes so that you're never quite comfortable with her on screen and you're not sure what you think about her.

Robert De Niro has limited screen time, but every second he's on screen, he is a force. He seems to storm into the film, drawing all the energy to his performance. I loved his small role and the moments with De Niro on screen were my favorites of the film. It's a terrific example of how an actor can make an outsized contribution to a movie. He uses every second of screen time to elevate the film. Chris Cooper and Hank Azaria add really good supporting performances as well. It was great to see Anne Bancroft here. I understand why she would have taken the role. It's a meaty part and allows her to flex her acting muscles. She's mostly good in the role. While there are a few moments where her performance felt a little over-the-top, the majority of her world is quite strong.

When I think about this film, it feels like there's all these strong moments, but the connective scenes between them aren't nearly as effective. Cuaron succeeds when he creates these memorable sequences- the scenes with De Niro, some of the interactions between Hawke and Paltrow, a few of the exchanges between Bancroft and Hawke. Those are the best moments of the film. You have talented actors giving strong performances to the words of Charles Dickens. However, the other moments, the scenes between the scenes seem to be less effective, to carry less weight. The film feels like it builds momentum in the great scenes, only to throttle down in the others. The pacing of the movie didn't feel quite right to me. It creates lulls, which makes this 1 hour 51 minute movie feel too long (which it isn't). It's rated R, but it's surprisingly tame. It felt like Cuaron wanted to create something that was steamy and vivid, but the end result is surprisingly toothless. I suspect some of these issues are because it was still a fairly early career film for Cuaron. I believe this was the third feature film he directed and only the second in English. He's clearly talented, but was figuring things out in the late 1990s.

While there's a lot that I liked with Great Expectations, the movie ultimately doesn't quite hold our attention adequately throughout it's run time. This felt like a worthwhile attempt, but one that falls just short.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6.5


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Romeo + Juliet, A Little Princess