Great Expectations

Empire by

It’s handsome, involving and stars the cream of British acting talent — but so did Lean’s unbeatable version, and Newell and Nicholls’ safe, schoolteacher-friendly interpretation makes no real case for going down this much-travelled road once more.

Village Voice by Alan Scherstuhl

Newell's film doesn't supplant Lean's, of course. The yearning is more vague, the gloom less consummate. But it's the best since, rich in feeling and dark beauty, alive with the superior scenecraft, chatter, and imagination of the most beloved of novelists.

Time Out London by Cath Clarke

What marks out director Mike Newell and writer David Nicholls’s version is its impeccable acting.

The Hollywood Reporter by David Rooney

Vivid characterizations from Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter are the highlights of Mike Newell's traditional retelling of the classic Dickens novel.

Variety by Justin Chang

Working from a tightly compressed screenplay by David Nicholls, director Mike Newell strikes the beats of a deservedly oft-told tale with dour competence but little in the way of dramatic inspiration or visual flair.

Time Out by Keith Uhlich

Once Pip reaches the big city, Newell starts losing the dramatic focus, piling on incidents and revelations with a bombastic force that makes it seem as if we’re watching a cheap 19th-century telenovela.

The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw

A watchable and accessible revival, though not groundbreaking, and not quite matching the story's passionate fear and rapture.

Observer by Rex Reed

If your own expectations are not too high, you crave period-costume drama and you’re one of those unfortunate people who refuses to watch anything in glorious black-and-white, this Great Expectations is worth the time and effort.

The Telegraph by Robbie Collin

It’s less an adaptation than a recapitulation.