| Nicholas Nickleby | | Cast : | Charlie Hunnam, Christopher Plummer, Anne Hathaway, Jim Broadbent, Jamie Bell | | Director : | Douglas McGrath | | Studio : | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | January 01, 2002 | | DVD Released Date : | July 22, 2003 | | Language : | Spanish (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 24, 2005 | | Summary | two bright shining stars in the midst of mediocrity at its peak | Content
 | I must confess that I purchased this film for two reasons: Jamie Bell and Juliet Stevenson. The rest of the cast could fall into the deep blue sea, because, quite simply, Bell and Stevenson can out-act any of them. Charlie Hunnam has got quite the most affected accent I possibly have ever heard. Me thinks he could use some phonetic assistance. Anne Hathaway is a disappointment, and the other actors all seem to be doing cameos, nothing more. As I watch this film, I get the oddest feeling that I am watching snippets strung together with glue and tape - the continuity is sadly lacking due to the cameo-effect. But, I will say, in comparison with some of the other trash coming down the tube in this day and age, this film is quite the breath of fresh air.
And for Jamie Bell, and Jamie Bell alone, I give this film 4 stars. He is a brilliant young actor, and we can only anticipate his future work with eagerness. He is Smike, beyond a shadow of a doubt. And to him, I must say Bravo!
Juliet Stevenson is a delightfully nasty Mrs. Squeers, who takes insults as compliments and acts as though she is enjoying every minute of it!
Rent it first. Then buy it. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 07, 2005 | | Summary | American Nickleby ruins a Dickens classic | Content
| I was attracted to this film by the director Douglas McGrath whose past films include Austen's Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow. No sooner had the hero Nicholas Nickleby, played by Charlie Humman, opened his mouth I was cringing. Talk about a poor excuse for an English accent! Maintaining this accent seemed to consume all of his energies as his expressions ranged from A to B. The character of Nickleby requires an actor of strong presence and maturity beyond his 19 years. It is an story of inexplicable abuses and hardships. The blond haired blue eyed feminine Humman seemed incongruous to the bleak Dickensian landscape. His relationship with the crippled boy Smike bordered on the homosexual with the wetness in the way in which Humman would touch and look at his friend. This is obviously unintentional as Nickleby and Smike are brought together by the need to survive and their friendship is one of the strongest in any of Dickens' novels. The British actors Christopher Plummer, Jim Broadbent and Jamie Bell to name but a few act American leads Charlie Humman and Anne Hathaway off the stage. The exception is the American Nathan Lane who steals the show as the eccentric travelling thesbian. It is unfortunate that what had the potential to be a highly successful film, like Emma before it, was completely ruined by poor casting. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 09, 2005 | | Summary | "Every good thing has been a trick-until you." | Content
| From the same director who brought us the recent adaptation of "Emma", comes a charming edition of the Charles Dickens classic, "Nicholas Nickleby". Featuring an all star cast (although the stars are more Royal Shakespeare Company than People Magazine) and lovely locales and sets, this film manages to distill Dickens' rather complex story into a coherent and surprisingly playful cinematic experience.
Young Nicholas Nickleby has just lost his father, and desperate for help he takes his mother and innocent sister to London to seek their rich uncle. Unfortunately, said uncle is Christopher Plummer, and he's evil. He packs off Nicholas to teach at a miserable boy's school and sets about trawling the sister through the wealthy London bachelor scene for his own monetary gain. The story follows Nicholas as he mutinies at the school, finds true blue friends, rescues his sister, and faces his uncle while finding first love himself, all as a result of his inherit goodness.
A well made film with excellent performances from all, with particular kudos to Heather Goldenhersh as the loopy Fanny Squeers and Nathan Lane as theater maestro Vincent Crummles. There is also, of course, Juliet Stevensen as the villainous Mrs. Squeers. Watch for the scene where she tells Nicholas to stay out of her plots, "or we will fall out, in a way that will spoil your beauty". Shiver.
It would please me no end if director Douglas McGrath were to go on adapting classic novels forever, he's so good at it (How about "A Tale of Two Cities"?). Highly recommended for anyone who loves Dickens, British actors, or scary schoolmarms. Enjoy! |
| Rating | | | Date | April 07, 2005 | | Summary | Wonderful. | Content
| I would give Mr.Bell a hundred stars for his wonderful work in this movie. I think he was born to act and that his portrayel of Smike is moving, frail, and touching. I would thank him personaly if I had the chance.
Mr.Plumber was amazing, and although he is rather old, he is still an amazingly talented actor. He portrays the cold villan with an essential finess and class.
The couple who run the orphanage are very discusting, as they should be. I thought they were perfect, they really captures the sinister side of Dickens revealing stories.
I am not crazy over Anne Hathaway, she is ok, but she just doesn't look frail enough for this character.
The Nickelous here just doesn't act "Dickens" enough for me, though he does fill the void.
Most of the cameos by famous broadway actors were distracting. They are good actors, these roles just don't fit them.
Still, I found most of the filming, the few extras on filming and costuming, the taste in handling the stories violence, and the great acting on the part of Jaimee and Christopher to be worth four stars. It is a great film for family audiences and the moral of the story shines through quite brightly, despite its flaws it is incredibly "Dickens".
I do recommend it. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 29, 2005 | | Summary | A rather "wet" adaptation. | Content
| The story is the well known Dickens mainstay of Victorian cruelty and deprivation, this alone can make Dickens hard to take for a modern audience; relying as he does on now historical and somewhat grating social values.
Having said that, in the right thespian hands such stories can really come to life since the characters are rich and numerous.
There are some fine actors here and some excellent performances, Plummer, Bell, Lane, Stevenson and Broadbent are particualrly good. The problem is essentailly Hunman (Nathan from the UK "Queer as Folk"). He just does not have the ability to lead the film, his accent is his own (the slighty posh Geordie he always is, whether he is supposed to be a 21st century Mancunian Gay Man or a 19th century home counties Gentleman!) and he makes no attempt to become the mild mannered Nickelby. Moreover he is bullish, intense to point of being silly and the crassness of the scene when he ditches his shirt to reveal his muscles is beyond measure. It seems to demonstrate nothing more than the director's attempt to remind you of why Hunman became famous, the afore mentioned "Queer as Folk"; the sad thing is that even in that programme Hunman was always out of his depth, unable to blend or assimilate and just a little too aware of his own ego at the expense of the performance. Unfortunately he behaves similarly in this film and it translates as a 21st century thug having taken over the spirit of Nickelby. Very dissapointing. |
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