After the minor miracle he worked with A Little Princess, Alfonso Cuarón rather lost the plot with this modern-day interpretation of the classic novel by Charles Dickens. Clearly keen to avoid comparison with David Lean's 1946 masterpiece, he opted for a loose retelling centred on the eerie Everglades and the New York art scene. But, while he lashes on the style, he fumbles the book's underlying themes. He's also ill-served by his leads, with Ethan Hawke consumed by sensitivity and Gwyneth Paltrow too shallow to be a worthy object of obsession. It's left to a gleefully deranged Anne Bancroft and a caringly criminal Robert De Niro to provide the substance.

Loosely based on the Charles Dickens' classic novel, "Great Expectations" is a sensual tale of a young man's unforgettable passage into manhood, and the three individuals who will undeniably change his life forever. Through the surprising interactions of these vivid characters, "Great Expectations" takes a unique and contemporary look at life's great coincidences.