Great Expectations

Filmmaker Mike Newell's stylish new adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic novel is reasonably faithful to the source material, telling the tale of orphan Pip, who as a boy assists an escaped convict named Magwitch and is invited by wealthy but reclusive neighbor Miss Havisham to be a companion for her adopted daughter Estella, to whom Pip quickly becomes devoted despite her pursuit of social position and wealth. Later, Pip unexpectedly receives a large gift from an anonymous benefactor that allows him to become a profligate gentleman in the city, and it's only the revelation of his benefactor's identity and an ensuing tragedy (along with some help from his true friends) that lead him to abandon his self-destructive ways and return to his origins—and Estella, who has learned a similar life lesson. Of course, this only scratches the surface of a story that is typically Dickensian in its richness of character and detail, but while Newell can't shoehorn everything into a two-hour movie, he does incorporate a surprisingly large number of narrative twists and colorful secondary figures from the book. The cast—which includes Ralph Fiennes as Magwitch and Helena Bonham Carter as Havisham, as well as Jeremy Irvine as Pip, and Holliday Grainger as Estella—is very good. David Lean's 1946 film remains in a class by itself, but Newell's take is a solid modern alternative. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a red carpet premiere featurette (4 min.) and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: a small extras package for a solid adaptation of Dickens' classic novel.] (F. Swietek)