Great Expectations

In Brief: This latest cinematic attempt at the book is certainly a worthy addition to the world of Dickens on film. It does lack the symbolism (Magwitch as Christ figure) of Stuart Walker’s 1934 film, and the somewhat overblown gothic trappings of David Lean’s 1946 version, but it’s a solid take on the story with some truly inspired casting and atmospheric direction from Mike Newell. While Newell is an uneven director, at his best—think the criminally underseen An Awfully Big Adventure (1995) — he’s no mean stylist, and that’s the case here. Helena Bonham Carter’s Miss Havisham is quite the most fascinating incarnation of this character I’ve ever seen, and she’s matched every step of the way by Ralph Fiennes as Abel Magwitch. The film nicely encapulates the book’s incredibly complex and finely interwoven narrative, with all its surprising revelations. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke originally published on Nov. 12, 2012.