Whenever a book is made into a film and billed as a "loose adaptation" by the filmmakers, it usually means that the original artistic motivation of the adapted work, the very thing that made that work important, has been replaced with a more fiscal motivation that often leaves fans of the original cringing in their seats.

Great Expectations, "loosely based" upon Charles Dickens' classic novel, finds itself dangerously close to that situation. One might argue that the drastic changes to the actual story Dickens wrote (the setting, time, names, characters, etc.) would be enough to force a change in title.

But an argument can also be made that the changes made by producer Art Linson, director Alfonso Cuaron and writer Mitch Glazer, were exactly what the dry, stuffy Dickens text needed to be translated to a modern audience. This not only allows the film to be profitable but also allows it to possess the quality a literal translation would be unable to duplicate.

Great Expectations gets away with its liberal interpretation because the importance of the story is the theme and not the specifics. And luckily the theme survives, even flourishes, in the film's evolved form.

As a child, Finn Bell falls in love with the beautiful Estella, a girl trained to break men's hearts by the delirious and vengeful Ms. Dinsmoor (Anne Bancroft), a woman savagely defeated by love.

Ms. Dinsmoor remains, bitter and old, in self-imposed exile within the decaying mansion unchanged since her wedding day. Still in a position of wealth and influence, she arranges for young Finn to visit her and Estella every week, and watches with pleasure as the timid boy falls prey to the disciplined product of her vengeance.

Now grown and after years of separation, Finn (Ethan Hawke) and Estella (Gwyneth Paltrow) find themselves in New York. Finn's arrival comes from the hand of a mysterious benefactor who arranges for him the opportunities for success. The two meet and the old games begin again.

Anyone familiar with the original story knows the character of the Convict, and I won't give anything away to those unfamiliar with the story, but I must give credit to Robert DeNiro for his performance in the role. His first scene with Finn jump-starts the film into an intensity and pace that is modified throughout the film, but never lost.

Other great performances come from Bancroft as the outrageous Ms.Dinsmoor, Chris Cooper as Finn's uncle and Raquel Beaudene and Jeremy James Kissner who play Estella and Finn as children.

Great Expectations, in its modern visual form, captures the pure emotion of the story in a better and more feasible way than a literal translation of the original text.

Perhaps it is due to the enchanting visual complicity of the film, created by incredible settings, superb cinematography and inspired direction. Maybe it's the film's excellent use of music, or the intense romantic energy between Finn and Estella that exists in every scene they share from age ten to thirty that makes it succeed.

It's because of all these things and more that Great Expectations works, and works much better than expected, as a modern, tragic love story.