A few decades ago, more precisely in 1998, the Great Expectations movie directed by Alfonso

Cauron was released. The romantic drama was perceived well by the public with 3 nominations
and won the Best romance award at the Golden Trailer Awards. The excellent cast (Gwyneth
Paltrow, Robert De Niro, Ethan Hawke) surely contributed to the sought-after success. It is
worth mentioning that the motion picture is an adaption of Dickens’ famous novel.

The film begins with Finnegan Bell alias Finn (Jeremy Kissner, later Ethan Hawke as adult Finn)
raised in a modest home by his sister Maggie and her boyfriend Joe, who unexpectedly comes
across the convict Arthur Lustig (Robert De Niro), whom he helps to escape the police officers
chasing him. The plot takes a striking twist when Finn is approached by lawyer Ragno, who
invites him to move to New York and start his painting career, financed by an anonymous
benefactor. The story reaches a climax when Finn confronts Ms. Dinsmoor and finds out about
Estella’s wedding. The aforementioned events are concluded with Finn’s unanticipated
encounter with Lustig, who is again being chased by the police and some old acquaintances
working for the mob.

From a cinematographic point of view, Great Expectations is above average. The image quality
is surprisingly good for 1998 and the soundtrack contours very well the tense, sometimes
euphoric atmosphere. The costumes and locations stick to the reality and fit the storyline. Most
of the dialogues are intense, meaningful and keep the viewer on the edge of the seat.

To me, Great Expectations is a likeable movie, appropriate for both teenagers and adults, with a
strong message, just like the book: Don’t yearn for the impossible! I would definitely
recommend this film to everybody, except children because of the inappropriate grownup
dynamics.