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Great Expectations

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6.4/10 • 348

2012-11-302h 8m

DramaRomance

Prepare for a life of great expectations.

Orphan Pip discovers through lawyer Mr. Jaggers that a mysterious benefactor wishes to ensure that he becomes a gentleman. Reunited with his childhood patron, Miss Havisham, and his first love, the beautiful but emotionally cold Estella, he discovers that the elderly spinster has gone mad from having been left at the altar as a young woman, and has made her charge into a warped, unfeeling heartbreaker.

Directors
Mike Newell
Editors
Tariq Anwar

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Jeremy Irvine

    Jeremy Irvine

    Philip 'Pip' Pirrip

  2. Helena Bonham Carter

    Helena Bonham Carter

    Miss Havisham

  3. Ralph Fiennes

    Ralph Fiennes

    Abel Magwitch

  4. Holliday Grainger

    Holliday Grainger

    Estella Havisham

  5. Robbie Coltrane

    Robbie Coltrane

    Mr. Jaggers

  6. Jason Flemyng

    Jason Flemyng

    Joe Gargery

  7. Ewen Bremner

    Ewen Bremner

    Wemmick

  8. Sally Hawkins

    Sally Hawkins

    Mrs. Joe

  9. David Walliams

    David Walliams

    Mr. Pumblechook

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Apr 29, 2024

6/10

Well the Irvine's decided to keep this in the family! The young "Pip" (Toby) is out one night when he encounters the escaping convict "Magwitch" (Joseph Fiennes). Terrified for his life, he feeds the man and returns home to his kindly uncle "Joe" (Jason Flemyng) and his rather domineering wife (Sally Hawkins). Scoot on a few years and now big brother Jeremy takes over the leading role and is introduced to the solicitor "Jaggers" (Robbie Coltrane) who informs the young man that he is now a man of means. The conditions of his mysterious benefaction are that he live in London as a gentleman and that he make no enquiries as to the source of his newfound wealth. Now he, and we, make certain assumptions about the eccentric "Miss Havisham" (Helena Bonham Carter) but he is in London now, befriending old sparring partner "Herbert Pocket" (Olly Alexander) and leading a life of comfortable leisure. In truth, though, he's a bit rudderless and lacking in purpose until he returns home late one evening to be reunited with his former nemesis and told a few home truths that altogether change his agenda. It's not my favourite Dickens story this, but this adaptation does an adequate enough job more in the afternoon tea-time drama vein rather than the grand scale cinematic one. The easy-on-the-ey (elder) Irvine is charismatic enough and Alexander delivers quite cheekily as his pal "Pocket" but I thought Fiennes just over-egged his part - way too theatrical - and HBC doesn't really have the clout to deliver the "Havisham" part in the overbearing yet sad style of, say, Martita Hunt. I always find that colour photography can be an enemy to stories like this. The issues of poverty and privilege that underpin so many of this author's stories always work better in grimy monochrome, and this one is just a bit too well produced. It's perfectly watchable, but not really one to remember.

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
$6,202,879.00
Keywords
based on novel or book19th centurysecret benefactoryoung gentleman