| Rating: IMDb: 6.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 68%
| Main Cast: Jeremy Irons, Dominique Swain, Melanie Griffith, Frank Langella
| Director: Adrian Lyne

Plot Summary:
Adrian Lyne’s Lolita is a controversial and haunting adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov’s classic novel. The film explores the obsessive and morally fraught relationship between Humbert Humbert (Jeremy Irons), a sophisticated but deeply disturbed literature professor, and Dolores “Lolita” Haze (Dominique Swain), a precocious teenage girl. After becoming a tenant in the home of Lolita’s mother, Charlotte Haze (Melanie Griffith), Humbert marries her to stay close to Lolita, ultimately embarking on a road trip filled with manipulation, jealousy, and tragedy.

Jeremy Irons delivers a chilling and nuanced performance as Humbert, portraying the character’s internal torment and obsession with subtlety and depth. Dominique Swain, in her breakout role, captures Lolita’s mix of naivety and rebellion, adding complexity to a character often defined by others. Melanie Griffith and Frank Langella provide strong supporting performances, rounding out the story’s unsettling emotional landscape.

Adrian Lyne’s direction brings a visually stunning, dreamlike quality to the narrative, juxtaposing idyllic suburban settings with the story’s darker psychological undertones. Despite its elegant cinematography and evocative score, Lolita remains provocative and divisive, challenging viewers with its taboo subject matter and moral ambiguity.

The 1997 adaptation takes a more romanticized approach compared to Stanley Kubrick’s 1962 version, offering a closer exploration of the characters’ emotions and the consequences of their actions. While it received mixed reviews, Lolita is remembered for its daring storytelling and its ability to provoke thought about obsession, power dynamics, and the loss of innocence.