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I remember when Lolita with Jeremy Irons and Dominique Swain ran on Showtime. A friend of mine and I had turned the channel and there it was. We didn't know what it was at first, so we investigated and found out it was an adaptation of Nabokov's novel, Lolita. We watched mesmerized and were delighted about the presentation of the movie upon its conclusion. The pairing of Irons and Swain is perfect chemistry. Dominique Swain with her greyish eyes, nymph-like mischievousness and alluring appeal plays Lolita to a T. Jeremy Iron's sophistication and command of the role works very well. Especially as he spirals towards obsession and irrationality. Melanie Griffith, who usually plays the beautiful girl, comes through as the bossy, man-hungry Mrs. Hayes who still seems to have a connection with her daughter through all the arguments and the fact that she seems to want to get rid of her. I have read the novel and I really enjoy this adaptation. The casting was perfection. The Jeremy Irons narrative over parts of the movie lend a hand to some of the ethereal qualities of the film. Much like the flashbacks of Irons as a young boy losing his first love and the torturous pain of his longing for her. I had owned the movie on VHS and practically wore the tape out. When it was released on DVD, I did not have a chance to buy it. Now that you can not find this anywhere, it was fantastic that I was able to buy it right here. If you like excellent adaptations of novels, fine acting, and atypical story content, this is a good one. Also, if you are into indie films, I would suggest giving this a try. Some may find the content of the movie and the storyline - the older man more or less corrupting the young temptress - too shocking, which is okay. It's all really a matter of personal like and dislike. Yes, Kubrick had also released Lolita, which is also a good movie, but for me this one put it over the edge. Remember it is out of print, and you won't be able to find it in the stores. Enjoy.Read full review
this is pasted from an excerpt of a crude outline of my thesis. may i just take this moment to urge anyone seeing this movie to read Vladimir Nabokov's novel which it is based on beforehand. Adrian Lyne’s Lolita is fairly loyal to the plot structure of Nabokov’s novel, but fails to capture the tone. Lyne makes his film overly sentimental with background violin music and a nihilistic tone of despair and hopelessness that leaves little room for Nabokov’s acerbic humorous treatment of the story. Lyne does have Lolita as a 12 year old child, but played by a 17 year old actress so as not to display too small a girl. Lyne includes visual culture, mostly of pictures in Lolita’s perusal of film star magazines and her typical desires to be either a dancer or an actress. Lyne also catches the sick side of voyeurism in scenes when the whole neighborhood stands around to gaze at Charlotte’s dead body, and when Humbert tries to watch Lolita change into a bathing suit top in the car after leaving the camp. Lyne adheres to Nabokov’s treatment of traveling Americana culture in showing various hotels and scenic roads throughout the Midwest, including hotel rooms modeled after teepees. Lolita in the backseat of the car throws various random toys around, illustrating the amassed quantity of kitsch to quell her sorrow at lost childhood and the death of her mother with shallow material objects. Lolita in this film proves much more manipulative than Kubrick’s Lo, bribing sexual favors from Humbert for money such as the scene in which she asks for a raise in allowance. However, Lyne takes the sex scenes a bit too far, even adding in a rather disturbing rape scene right before Lolita runs off with Quilty. Overall, neither film captures the full essence of Nabokov’s Lolita. Kubrick’s gets the humorous tone but leaves out the commentary and Lyne’s gets the plot right and includes most of the commentary on voyeurism, but warps the humorous tone out of the story, creating a much more nihilistic depiction of utter despair. Neither film is able to turn in on itself to recreate the experience and critique of visual culture that the novel relies on.Read full review
I bought this DVD, because, for one thing, it is a U.S.A made copy and it is an excellent movie! Jeremy Irons is a great actor. This movie also has a sad ending to it. You cannot find this movie at too many outlets because of it's story line! A very erotic movie, I must say! This one will stand out for many years to come! (gee,it already has!) Nothing on DVD has come out since this movie release (1999) to compare to this one!! This was a real ground breaker! Perhaps this is why "Showtime" was the only "pay channel" to EVER show it / and why it's difficult to find on DVD? Anyway, my advice, PICK IT UP / SEE IT WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!!
Adrian Lyne (FATAL ATTRACTION) tries his hand at a more faithful adaptation of Nabokov's novel than Kubrick was allowed to attempt in 1962. In the process, Jeremy Irons gives an amazing, tortured performance as Humbert Humbert, the professor who can not control his physical desires for 12-year-old Dolores Haze (Dominique Swain). Swain also turns in an exceptional performance as the title character. Controversy surrounded the production to the point where it languished, completed, on the shelf, for almost two years looking for an American distributor. The film had a successful European run before making its American debut on the Showtime cable network, and finally, to a limited art-house run.
I liked this movie, because is shows the natural inclinations of many men and the obstacles they face in trying to contain or redirect their natural impulses. In this case Jeremy Irons' character fails miserably, and we see at the end of the movie, the eventual outcome of his life. For the girl, she's learned to harness the power of her female appeal, but later learns to temper or moderate her seductiveness and starts a family with a young man closer to her own age. Great movie!
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