Movie of the Week: Great Expectations

General verdict - a stellar supporting cast, beautifully filmed with some stand-out moments but maybe not quite as spectacular as I'd hoped for. Helena Bonham Carter's Miss Havisham is excellent and Ralph Fiennes (not an actor I generally warm to) makes a surprisingly good Magwich. Jeremy Irvine and Holliday Grainger as Pip and Estella are very pretty but a teensy bit bland, however Toby Irvine (Jeremy's real life brother) makes an excellent Young Pip. I also liked Jason Flemyng's sympathetic turn as Joe the Blacksmith - he pretty much stole any scene he was in.

Interesting to note that they went for an ambiguous ending which was appropriate, but not entirely satisfying.

H says it's not as good as the 1946 original with John Mills. I can't remember that one in any detail, though I must have seen it on TV many years ago.