Review of Great Expectations (1998) by Alan M — 17 Nov 2008

Great Expectations is a flawed but impassioned adaptation of Dickens' classic tale that has shed much of the social context relevant to its era, compensating for it with spellbinding visual flair that conceals many shortcomings in the screenplay.

"I'm not going to tell the story the way it happened; I'm going to tell it the way I remember it.".

This contemporary interpretation is an exuberant composition of life, envisaged through the romantic whims of an artist painting his masterpiece of imagination. It vividly expresses his triumphant pursuit of love and success that invigorates our reality and absorbs us into a fanciful realm of beauty and elegance.

The dazzling visual rendering of the artist's fable exhibits the distinctive signatures of director Alfonso Cuarón and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. The protagonist serves as a vessel through which they display their own artistry, utilising his journey as their canvas and the camera as their brush to paint broad, flamboyant strokes of colour and imagination that infuse into meticulously crafted sequences of profound finesse and emotion.

The uninhibited, dynamic camera flows with a rhythmic quality, seemingly dancing in appreciation of Patrick Doyle's eloquent music score. His rousing principal theme is an amorous hymn that imbues the story with a resonant romantic sentiment capable of penetrating the most cynical of hearts.

Great Expectations is a very self indulgent piece of moviemaking that takes many liberties with its source material. However, a combination of appealing actors, exceptional music and exciting visuals help to make this sweeping love story an irresistible success.