Discuss Great Expectations
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Very good 2011 television production
posted by genplant29STAFFMOD on March 10, 2018 at 9:18 PM
I like this production. However of course its Miss Havisham (Gillian Anderson) is decidedly youngish, and its Estella (Vanessa Kirby) far from being the irresistible great beauty the character is supposed to be. The former issue (G.A.'s age) doesn't actually bother me any, though the latter issue (V.K.) does ongoingly distract me when I've viewed this, as you keep knowing Miss Havisham has reared Estella to be such an amazing enticement, and that Estella is supposedly drop-dead gorgeous - and you keep seeing Pip respond and react to her accordingly. Yet, to the viewer's eyes, the appeal simply isn't at all evident. Instead we see a young woman with a bland, unlikeable personality and limited physical attractiveness, who seems like absolutely no big deal; it's hard to understand what all the fuss is about. Meanwhile, Douglas Booth's infinitely more charismatic and far better looking (in fact actually model-perfect beautiful) Pip outshines Estella in every way (also Booth is the better actor) and causes her to thoroughly pale in comparison.
Despite Gillian Anderson being young for the role of Havisham, she gives a terrific haunted and haunting performance, that I really like. Ray Winstone's Abel Magwitch is the production's particular standout, and is superb.
This is a production I enjoy and that I feel holds up overall nicely. And it has a great look to it. Vanessa Kirby's Estella is my only real problem with this version.
Reply by wonder2wonder
on March 11, 2018 at 10:17 PM
Last Christmas I watched the film adaptation "Great Expectations (2012)", directed by Mike Newell and screenplay by David Nicholls.
Both, miniseries and film, were produced by the BBC within a year of each other and released in 2012, celebrating Charles Dickens' bicentenary.
You're spot on that Estella from the miniseries is a bit disappointing and I much prefer the actress Holliday Grainger in the film.
I did enjoy watching the two versions, especially when doing so in a dark room lit by a single candle while sipping a large mug of hot chocolate. Delicious.
Reply by genplant29
on March 11, 2018 at 10:33 PM
Great way to watch this production! I've not seen the film version you mentioned, but have the DVD of this miniseries. (It's due a new viewing sometime before much longer.)
It's surprising that a different actress, better suited, wasn't able to be found to portray Estella. That seems like it wouldn't have been overly difficult to do. Estella is such a key character, who the casting of really does matter, in order to make her irresistibleness to Pip, and how/why it drives him, both understandable and believable.
I really like, in this production, when Miss Havisham makes her famous final descent down the staircase. Beautifully tragic.
Now I want to watch this again - sooner, rather than later.