This one is surely my favorite rendition of Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations into a movie. The story is brilliantly told and masterfully executed thanks to the stellar performances by Ioan Gruffudd, Charlotte Rampling, Daniel Evans and others. Gruffudd's Pip is more believable and mysterious at the same time. He plays him very convincingly. Gruffudd should do more of period pieces as he does them SO artistically well. Such roles come to him so naturally. And his voice: He brings all the charm, music and pathos only by uttering his thoughts in words. You could linger on every word that he utters. Such is the beauty and spell of his voice!Joe and Biddy are beautifully depicted. They bring joy to an otherwise sad story by their mere presence. Miss Havisham looks ravishing and tragic at the same time. In my opinion, this is by far the finest version of the Great Expectations. I,therefore, highly recommend it to the true lovers of literature. They would not only love the movie but they would adore the book even more after watching this. Its kinda sad to see that such masterpieces don't make their inroads into the mainstream Hollywood cinema. Coz if they do, I am certain that they would gain more popularity and recognition which pieces like this truly deserve in tons. All and all a beautiful beautiful period drama not to be missed at any cost.

I've seen some three or four adaptations of this classic novel, and I honestly think that this is one of the best out there. The settings are appropriately dark and in keeping with Dickens' bleak writing, a shining example being Miss Havisham's mansion. The acting is perfectly superb; Ioan Gruffudd is most definitely one of the best finds of the past few years. Ian McDiaramid is wonderful as usual, and Gruffudd's Titanic castmate Bernard Hill (that movie's Captain EJ Smith) is a great Magwitch. Keep your eye on Ioan, I predict great things! His performance is outstanding, down to the replacing of his own Welsh accent with Pip's distinctive lower-class English one. Lovely filming, great direction and wonderful acting make this a great addition to the already distinguished collection of the BBC.

This would have to be the best three hours of viewing I have seen in years.The acting,locations and costumes were spot on. Mr.Dickens was probably turning in his grave at some of the 'adjustments'made to his original story.but I don't think this spoiled the viewing in any way.You have to give the English credit,they surely know how to make historical type movies.

This is Charles Dicken's bleakest story by far, and for that reason alone I've always detested it. I made a point of seeing this production because Ioan Gruffudd was in it. I was not disappointed.Once again, Mr. Gruffudd shows his ability to become the character, with a talent far beyond many better known young actors. His voice is so musical that one can avoid the story line and simply enjoy the sound.Charlotte Rampling was a far more interesting Haversham than others I've seen. She had a slightly sinister quality just under the surface that was quite delicious.Watch the production for the talent within. It's well worth your time.