I've seen a few versions of the classic story, based on the famous novel of Charles Dickens, including David Lean's 1946 version with John Mills and the 2011 three-part TV show with Gillian Anderson, I hoped this one would be alright, directed by Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). Basically on Christmas Eve, Young Pip (Toby Irvine, Jeremy's brother) encounters an escaped convict (Ralph Fiennes), he assists him escaping with blacksmith tools and steals him a pie and brandy, until he and another escaped criminal are arrested. A year or two later, wealthy spinster Miss Havisham (Helena Bonham Carter), who is reclusive living in the dilapidated Satis House and still wears her old wedding dress, is visited by Pip, he falls in love with her adopted daughter Estella (Helena Barlow). Pip becomes an apprentice blacksmith, helping Joe Gargery (Jason Flemyng), the kind husband of Pip's older sister (Sally Hawkins), four years into his apprenticeship, grown up Pip (War Horse's Jeremy Irvine) is told by lawyer Mr. Jaggers (Robbie Coltrane) that an anonymous benefactor has paid for him to become a gentleman of great expectations, Pip is convinced it is Miss Havisham. Jaggers looks after Pip's money until he is older, Pip is sent to London, where he is reacquainted with Herbert Pocket (Olly Alexander), who also used to entertain for Miss Havisham, he schools Pip to learn the ways of a gentleman, until Pip is eventually reunited with Estella (Holliday Grainger). Pip is still in love with her, but she professes that she cannot feel love herself, and meanwhile Pip finds out the true identity of his benefactor, it is the convict he helped out, his name is Magwitch. Pip confronts Miss Havisham, she knows nothing about Estella's true parentage, she asks for his forgiveness for her manipulation of him, before he leaves Miss Havisham accidentally sets her dress on fire, she dies from her injuries. There is also some stuff about Pip trying to help Magwitch escape, but he is arrested and taken to prison hospital, Joe pays off Pip's debts, and following a trip to Egypt Pip returns in eleven years to see Estella, she seems to have opened her heart. Also starring David Walliams as Mr. Pumblechook, EastEnders' Tamzin Outhwaite as Molly, Trainspotting's Ewen Bremner as Wemmick, Jessie Cave as Biddy, Bebe Cave as Young Biddy and Ben Lloyd-Hughes as Bentley Drummle. The casting, Fiennes as the criminal turned father figure, and Bonham Carter as the freaky woman severely bitter being dumped at her wedding, is fine, but Irvine is perhaps too vulnerable, and overshadowed by the supporting cast members. To be honest, I have never understood the whole of the Dickensian story properly, in any of the adaptations, I just know the obvious parts, this film was the book in its entirety, but unfortunately it does not grip you, it feels too moody and everything falls flat, I was bored throughout most of it to be honest, a rather dull period drama. It was nominated the BAFTA for Best Costume Design. Adequate!

Before the review starts I must say that it might be a little biased. Coming from another country, before I saw the movie I had never heard of the book (maybe the title once or twice in a different translation) or any of the movie adaptations. For everyone else I suspect it wasn't as interesting as it was to me.The movie is about a boy, Pip, who gets in the possession of some money and coming from a poor background, goes on to become a gentleman in London.The movie is filled with a very well-known cast, e.g. Helena Bonham Carter and Jeremy Irvine, and directed by Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). As seen from previous movies, everyone delivers a remarkable performance, especially Carter with the wounded character of Miss Havisham (there's a good twist around the end involving her). Another great stand out was Holliday Grainger in the role of Estella. I loved her, and will be definitely looking at what projects she chooses in the future. It was a nice surprise when she appeared in Anna Karenina (2012), and although just for a couple of seconds, she played her part there very well too.The story, although I've never heard of it, is a classic. It's handled very well, and the love story too. Two people that were never meant to be together. Even though Estella is trying to push Pip away, Pip always comes back. There is definitely chemistry between the two.The sets and costumes were another high point of the movie. The women's wear in particular worked very well for the time period in which the story is set. The depiction of 1980s London was very graphic and very well done. Nothing seemed CGI, and all the sets looked very realistic.Every movie has a flaw, and nearly every time it's the pace. The movie did slow down around the middle, after Pip arrives in London and settles down. Not much happened.I recommend this to most movie fans looking for a good drama. Fans of the story will probably dig the new adaptation too. Enjoy.Acting - 10/10 Costumes - 10/10 Pace - 8/10 Sets - 10/10Overall - 9/10

Thematically speaking, Mike Newell's GREAT EXPECTATIONS depicts a world in which money talks: where rich n'er-do-wells such as Bentley Drummle (Ben Lloyd-Hughes) manage to find the girls of their choice, while fundamentally good people such as Pip (Toby/ Jeremy Irvine) end up unlucky. To survive in this world, Pip has to shed his humanity; this is especially evident in his offhand treatment of Joe Gargery (Jason Flemyng), when the blacksmith comes to visit him in London. Likewise Estella (Helena Barlow/ Holliday Granger) is brought up in a world where any display of emotion or human feeling is considered weak; hence she believes it is her destiny to marry Bentley, even though the couple are not in love with one another. The quintessential representative of this rapacious world is Jaggers (Robbie Coltrane), who believes that everything - including human beings - are to be bought and sold for money. Hence Joe Gargery should be happy to accept twenty-five guineas in exchange for Pip. Unless you've got money, you'll not have any Great Expectations. Newell's film is also very good at depicting the relationships between Pip, Estella and Miss Havisham (Helena Bonham Carter) - although somewhat young for the role, Bonham Carter comes across as a fundamentally vindictive person, who enjoys playing with Estella and Pip's feelings in revenge for her own frustrations at being jilted on her wedding-day several years previously. As with most BBC- inspired costume dramas, the sense of place is beautifully evoked, even though Jim Clay's production designs; nineteenth-century London is a teeming, threatening world in which self-interest prevails. This is contrasted with the rural Kent coast where Joe and his sister (Sally Hawkins), a lonely world of sprawling landscapes and russet sunsets. Perhaps the only criticism that might be leveled at this adaptation is the fact that David Nicholls' screenplay runs out of steam somewhat: the plot-details are rather hurriedly wrapped up in the last half-hour at the expense of characterization and atmosphere. This is a shame, as it deflects out attention from the developing relationship between Pip and Abel Magwitch (Ralph Fiennes), which proves beyond doubt that compassion is far more significant than money to ensure human survival.

I love the writings of Charles Dickens and this is one of my favourite stories. I expected a riveting performance but was just plain disappointed. There were lots of great talent, Helena Bonham Carter, David Wallliams, Scottish fellow and Ralph Fiennes among others; some lovely photography but for some reason this just didn't work. I had also watched the version that included David Suchet, Ray Winstone and Gillian Anderson, an unlikely cast and yet it really worked and I was in raptures. Maybe it was because this version was a condensed cinematic version and some of the original story had to be discarded but I had the sense that an intimidating cast list and terrific photography would carry the day but it really didn't. I like all of the actors in this but I really felt that they were utterly miscast. You know, Robbie Coltrane would have been a far better Bumblechook. Helena Bonham Carter just should not have been employed. Too bad- I so wanted this to be good.