"Nicholas Nickleby" is the pluperfect Dickens novel. Dickens gives us a cross section of Victorian society--rich and poor, good and evil, comfortable and wretched.
The film does justice to this masterpiece-- the children suffering under a cruel schoolmaster appear truly sick, hungry, and miserable. The crowd scenes are handled well, the locations look authentic, and the acting is outstanding.
Charlie Hunnam handles the relatively straightforward role of Nicholas Nickleby very well. Romola Garai as Kate Nickleby and Anne Hathaway as Madeline Bray are both suitably charming.
Juliet Stevenson is remarkable as the sadistic Mrs. Squeers, and Jim Broadbent is superb as her (truly) loving husband, the equally sadistic Wackford Squeers.
Christopher Plummer portrays the evil uncle, Ralph Nickleby, to perfection. Plummer's acting should earn him an Oscar nomination. This part may finally put to rest our memories of the man who was wrong, wrong, wrong for Julie Andrews in "Sound of Music."
If you love Dickens, you will love this film. See it right away.
The film does justice to this masterpiece-- the children suffering under a cruel schoolmaster appear truly sick, hungry, and miserable. The crowd scenes are handled well, the locations look authentic, and the acting is outstanding.
Charlie Hunnam handles the relatively straightforward role of Nicholas Nickleby very well. Romola Garai as Kate Nickleby and Anne Hathaway as Madeline Bray are both suitably charming.
Juliet Stevenson is remarkable as the sadistic Mrs. Squeers, and Jim Broadbent is superb as her (truly) loving husband, the equally sadistic Wackford Squeers.
Christopher Plummer portrays the evil uncle, Ralph Nickleby, to perfection. Plummer's acting should earn him an Oscar nomination. This part may finally put to rest our memories of the man who was wrong, wrong, wrong for Julie Andrews in "Sound of Music."
If you love Dickens, you will love this film. See it right away.