Not an easy thing, making a film version of a classic 900-page novel, but harder still for a director to make that film her own. Mira Nair accomplishes this feat in "Vanity Fair," an energetic new take on William Makepeace Thackeray's novel, one flavored with Indian spices. The spirit of that most modern of 19th century heroines, Becky Sharp, remains intact, and Nair's Indian touches make for an intriguing, fresh approach.

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