New Release Review - Great Expectations

Directed by: Mike Newell

Starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Jeremy Irvine, Jason Flemyng, Robbie Coltrane, Ewen Bremner, Sally Hawkins, David Walliams, Holliday Grainger

The latest film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic 19th century novel.

Dickens’ famous coming-of-age novel has been adapted for film and television numerous times since the early 1900s. The most recent of these interpretations, released late November, boasts an all-star cast and lavish costume design.

The new release follows the tale of a young orphan named Pip who is intimidated into helping an escaped convict called Magwitch. He is later sent to live with wealthy spinster Miss Haversham who, as readers of the original novel will know, lets her life fall into decay following her fiancé’s desertion on their wedding day. Pip, however, begins to develop a taste for the finer things in life as well as a romantic attraction to Miss Haversham’s adopted daughter, Estella. When Pip becomes an adult, he becomes an apprentice to a blacksmith and his modest life takes a turn for the better when he becomes the beneficiary of a large sum of money from an anonymous source. Without divulging too much of the plot, it is from this point that events take an unlikely turn.
Fans of the novel may be pleased with the film’s faithfulness to the original plot which allows the viewer to experience the intricacies of irony and of luck, themes which run throughout the film. While this might make for a less seamless viewing for those unfamiliar to the novel, viewers coming to 'Great Expectations' with fresh eyes can enjoy the gothic undertones and atmospheric backdrop. The characters are stark and well-defined; the brooding and bitter Miss Haversham is played perfectly by Helena Bonham Carter.
While the film may not be to everyone’s taste, it’s sure to appeal to fans of period drama with a twist. Its release demonstrates the unwavering popularity of this Dickens classic and, for some, provides the perfect tribute to Dickens’ 200th birthday which was celebrated earlier this year.

7/10

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Emma Carey