Modernization of Charles Dickens classic story finds the hapless Finn as a painter in New York City pursuing his unrequited and haughty childhood love.
Based on Charles Dickens' timeless tale, this is a story of the love of a man for an unreachable woman. Updated to modern day New York City, the story concerns a man of modest background who falls in love with a rich girl. But when a mysterious benefactor greenlights the man to make his dreams come true, everything done has the ultimate goal of making Estella fall in love with him...Written by
Steve Richer <sricher@sympatico.ca>
Real-life painter Francesco Clemente created Finnegan Bell's (Ethan Hawke's) artwork for the movie. See more »
Goofs
In the scene in which Lustig is shown on TV, the commentator mentions Lustig is due for death by lethal injection. Florida only began offering lethal injection relatively recently. When Finn was a boy, the method would have been the electric chair. See more »
For beginning, Alfonso Cuarón is one of my favourite directors; and this work of him puts together a great cast of actors: Gwyneth Paltrow, Ethan Hawke, Robert De Niro, Chris Cooper and Anne Bancroft. British novelist Charles Dickens's novel "Great Expectations" is the resource for this successful adaptation. I have read the novel, and it's an autobiographical drama and humour. I also saw the 1946 silver-screen adaptation, which was boring and indifferent than this novel; and I think it was indifferent on its own, as well. On the other hand, Alfonso Cuarón's Great Expectations is a transformation of a drama/comedy work of art into a romance. Besides, Alfonso Cuarón used his materials perfectly through matching the relations of these materials between each other:
1- Ms.Dinsmoor and her oath of revenge against mankind, that composes feminism 2- Estella and her enchanting beauty, falling the trap of pride 3- Finn and his pure emotions, falling the trap of loving an insensitive beauty 4- The mysterious benefactor of Finn who bears compunction of his past actions in his life and thus is laying down all of his possessions to Finn, whom he knows as a good-hearted little kid
The screenplay is so powerful that solidifies the plot with new original features including surrealist drawings of Finn, that turns the movie a real work of art. Estella is the inspiration of Finn, of his love, of his work, of his success, of his life, ultimately of himself; that he finds and pursues the love of his life all the time. In addition, he stays loyal to Estella. There is the one great qualification of this movie that, lovers always stay loyal to each other.
Although Estella has dated with rich businessmen and even married with them, she have always known that Finn was there waiting for her with complete determination and faith. They soon to come together to live happily ever after, like all the wholeheartedly love endings or non-endings. Read my synopsis for this movie, if you haven't got any chance yet to see it.
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For beginning, Alfonso Cuarón is one of my favourite directors; and this work of him puts together a great cast of actors: Gwyneth Paltrow, Ethan Hawke, Robert De Niro, Chris Cooper and Anne Bancroft. British novelist Charles Dickens's novel "Great Expectations" is the resource for this successful adaptation. I have read the novel, and it's an autobiographical drama and humour. I also saw the 1946 silver-screen adaptation, which was boring and indifferent than this novel; and I think it was indifferent on its own, as well. On the other hand, Alfonso Cuarón's Great Expectations is a transformation of a drama/comedy work of art into a romance. Besides, Alfonso Cuarón used his materials perfectly through matching the relations of these materials between each other:
1- Ms.Dinsmoor and her oath of revenge against mankind, that composes feminism 2- Estella and her enchanting beauty, falling the trap of pride 3- Finn and his pure emotions, falling the trap of loving an insensitive beauty 4- The mysterious benefactor of Finn who bears compunction of his past actions in his life and thus is laying down all of his possessions to Finn, whom he knows as a good-hearted little kid
The screenplay is so powerful that solidifies the plot with new original features including surrealist drawings of Finn, that turns the movie a real work of art. Estella is the inspiration of Finn, of his love, of his work, of his success, of his life, ultimately of himself; that he finds and pursues the love of his life all the time. In addition, he stays loyal to Estella. There is the one great qualification of this movie that, lovers always stay loyal to each other.
Although Estella has dated with rich businessmen and even married with them, she have always known that Finn was there waiting for her with complete determination and faith. They soon to come together to live happily ever after, like all the wholeheartedly love endings or non-endings. Read my synopsis for this movie, if you haven't got any chance yet to see it.