• The green saturation in the mise-en-scene is so artistically admirable—but it’s not as strong a marriage as it is in Cuaron’s A Little Princess from 1995- which is more overtly expressionistic and surreal. Nor is it as good a marriage as his later masterpiece Children of Men where he brings the greens back after the more naturalistic mise-en-scene departure in Y Tu Mama Tambien– still- we’re talking about not “as-good”- it’s still miraculous and achingly beautiful
  • Green drawings (from Hawke’s character- a totally believable artist by the way) yellow lettering again during the titles
  • Cuaron even uses a green lens flare- wow
  • Chris Cooper is part of the phenomenal ensemble – 4 Oscar winners- De Niro, Anne Bancroft, Paltrow—Hawke is great of course—Cooper’s role is sort of an audition for his 2002 Adaption Oscar win- the character’s aren’t that far off
  • Cuaron and the mise-en-scene never rest. They drink mountain dew because of the color- it’s so wonderful
  • Great ellipsis editing of the young girl (Paltrow as a child) and her features and then dissolves of Bancroft’s mansion in a tour
  • Canted angles during the Paltrow seduction scene with dissolves galore- a very directed film
  • De Niro is ok here- it feels like shortcut casting with his Cape Fear convict character and the ending doesn’t quite land in his scenes when he’s supposed to be more tender. Paltrow works as the cold beauty (and so beautiful) for sure, Hawke as the protagonist and artist—Bancroft as the bitter older woman (Graduate)
  • There are a few De Palma-like wonderful long-tracking shots including one through an art gallery—it goes into a sequence where Hawke tracks down Paltrow—it’s a simulated oner with 3-4 cuts like Hitchcock’s Rope walking out of the gallery, running down the street, getting her, back out of the restaurant and the big kiss in the rain- three shots
  • If it wasn’t called Great Expectations (I think De Palma’s Bonfire of the Vanities suffers from the same) this is on everyone’s top 10 of 1998
  • Details green shutters on the building
  • The main music theme is excellent
  • HR