A forthright film adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel about the friendship between two men - one of them a simple-minded gentle giant (John Malkovich), the other (Gary Sinise) his self-appointed guardian. As they travel Depression-hit America in the Thirties, seeking casual farm work, their unconventionally well-ordered lives are changed forever by the arrival of a beautiful young woman (Sherilyn Fenn). There's some stunning photography here, as well as first-rate performances from Malkovich and Sinise (who also directs). It's not as good, though, as the classic 1939 version: despite Kenneth MacMillan's splendid colour work on the heat-baked landscapes here, it's the black-and-white atmosphere of the original that sticks in the memory.

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