Great Expectations (2012) - Review

As part of my research I have recently watched the 2012 film adaptation of Great Expectations directed by Mike Newell. My overall response to this film was luke warm. 

One of biggest issues I had with it was the pace, it was very much a 'slow burner' to begin with and found myself feeling rather sorry for my boyfriend whom I forced to watch with me! The beginning of the film was rather lack lustre and I found myself wondering when things would get going. However this was remedied with the arrival of Ralph Fiennes as Abel Magwitch, whose performance I found to be very convincing, full of passion and motivation. Once the pace had picked up, I found myself to enjoy the film to greater extent. 

I was very much pleased to find that the film remained rather accurate in its portrayal of the period. The audience is given an insight in to the harsh realities of London town as they view bustling, mud laden and boisterous scene as Pip makes his arrival. Overall, I found the set design to be very much a credit to this rendition, from Pips humble lower class household to Miss Havisham's dark and dusty home, to the luxury of Pips benefacted living quarters. 

I feel the film touches upon and highlights many of the novel's key themes which help raise its credit  to meet the expectations of its audience as a classic and ever popular example of gothic literature. 

Miss Havisham

The role of Miss Havisham is played by the infamous Helena Bonham Carter. I enjoyed Carter's performance with slight reservations. Her performance is alluring and captures the audience instantly, I find her quirky mannerisms and her flexibility in the role to go from seeming quite stable and sane to crazed and peculiar quite admirable. However, my reservations for Carter's portrayal lie in the fact that the character of Miss Havisham is one we've seen her in time and time again, I almost feel this character could have been made more spectacular with the use of perhaps a lesser known actress. 

As with the 2011 BBC adaptation Im pleased to see Miss Havisham played by a reasonable young actress, I feel Helena suits the portrayal in terms of age and appearance. the styling itself I also admire. The Make up is pale faced, shadowed greatly around the eyes that personally express a sense of long time suffering and misery. The hair, although perhaps a tad too messy for my liking, coincides with my ideas of Miss Havisham and looks very unkept and uncared for, yet loosely resembles the victorian style it once was.