As a great fan of Dickens, I am very pleased with this version of Nicholas Nickleby. It was beautifully done, from the excellent acting (with the exception of the lead) to the skillful condensation of the book's lengthy plot.
Particularly worth mentioning were several superb actors in smallish but essential parts. Timothy Spall (a great favorite of mine), Jim Broadbent and Kevin McKidd, who performed together previously in the under-noticed Topsy-Turvy (1999) were very good here as well. Juliet Stevenson, who carried Truly Madly Deeply (1991) so marvelously was delightfully despicable as the odious Mrs. Squeers. Best of an outstanding ensemble cast was Jamie Bell who gave a deeply affecting performance as Smike, although the character was written a tad less feeble-minded than usual.
The spirit and tone of the novel were faithfully captured here and I believe Mr. Dickens himself would have been pleased with this production.
Particularly worth mentioning were several superb actors in smallish but essential parts. Timothy Spall (a great favorite of mine), Jim Broadbent and Kevin McKidd, who performed together previously in the under-noticed Topsy-Turvy (1999) were very good here as well. Juliet Stevenson, who carried Truly Madly Deeply (1991) so marvelously was delightfully despicable as the odious Mrs. Squeers. Best of an outstanding ensemble cast was Jamie Bell who gave a deeply affecting performance as Smike, although the character was written a tad less feeble-minded than usual.
The spirit and tone of the novel were faithfully captured here and I believe Mr. Dickens himself would have been pleased with this production.