Free Great Movies Review
Director Adrian Lyne adapts Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita for the second time after Kubrick's 1962 adaptation. Lyne amps up the erotic element, which wouldn't have been allowed for Kubrick to do in 1962. This version plays more like an erotic thriller than a dark comedy, which I guess you'd expect from director Adrian Lyne. There is awkward sexual tension and humor in this film but the jokes don't land because Lyne has never done comedy. Jeremy Irons plays Humbert Humbert with serious intensity while Dominique Swain plays Lolita effectively. Melanie Griffith is probably too attractive to play Lolita's mom (why would Humbert reject her?), and Frank Langella as Clare Quilty is not as fun as Peter Sellers was in Kubrick's version. The movie is scene for scene a more faithful adaptation of Nabokov's novel, but it seems longer than Kubrick's version even though the runtime is shorter. Without the wit of Kubrick or Nabokov it drags on. Still Lyne provides some memorable imagery and erotic tension, and it's worth seeing for fans of the book.
Movie Description
Lolita is a 1997 drama film directed by Adrian Lyne, based on Vladimir Nabokov's controversial 1955 novel. The narrative centers around Humbert Humbert, a middle-aged British professor who rents a room in the United States and becomes infatuated with Dolores Haze, his landlord's adolescent daughter, whom he affectionately calls Lolita. This film marks the second adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's infamous novel, and stars Jeremy Irons in the role of Humbert Humbert, Dominique Swain as Dolores "Lolita" Haze, and Melanie Griffith playing the role of her mother Charlotte Haze.
Humbert's attraction towards Lolita evolves into a dangerous obsession, leading him to marry her mother in order to stay close to her. Following her mother's untimely death, Humbert embarks on a cross-country journey with Lolita, indulging in a clandestine sexual relationship. The film explores the unsettling themes of obsession, manipulation, and inappropriate relationships, with a storyline that raises moral and ethical questions. Both Irons' and Swain's performances were well-received, but the film received mixed reviews.
(Summary by FreeGreatMovies.com)
