Vanity Fair

After completing her studies, bright ambitious Becky Sharp heads out into the big world. Coming from a poor British family, she must use her wits and her feminine charm to make her way up in England's stratified society. Her cynical maneuvers bring her into high society's social circles, where she meets up with old classmate Amelia who didn't have to lift a finger to get there. It is no surprise that Indian filmmaker Mira Nair, whose films, from "Kama Sutra" to "Monsoon Wedding" have dealt with the connections between class, wealth and gender, should be drawn to William Thackeray's novel "Vanity Fair." Her adaptation of the novel is a subversive work augmented by the lead performance by the talented Reese Witherspoon.