Review of Great Expectations (1998) by Tamás M — 29 Nov 2010

I can see why this is regarded as a misfire - a big problem is, somewhat surprisingly (or maybe not, I dunno), is Ethan Hawke, who is well cast, but doesn't quite step up to the plate. Pip or, er, Finn, has to be earnest and sincere - not all the time, obviously, as it's critical that he drifts out of that state, but Hawke just doesn't sell it in some key scenes. Apart from that though, I quite enjoyed it - of course, these contemporary "updates" wear their eras on their sleeves, perhaps to their detriment, but Cuarón and Glazer managed to extract the core of Dickens' story and make it work. The tracking shot where Finn goes to the function, through a revolving door, is quite remarkable (although it pales when you consider what Cuarón did later.).

Best performance: Chris Cooper. His work at the launch of Finn's gallery is just heartbreaking.