Nicholas Nickleby (2002)

A comic, brutal and passionate take of greed and love in Victorian England. A top-notch cast of veteran actors and rising young newcomers shines in a lavish new British production of the Charles Dickens classic. The hero, a penniless young gentleman, struggles to make his way in the world and protect his mother and sister, meeting up with the worst and best of humanity along the way. Charles Dance (The Jewel in the Crown) stars as Ralph Nickleby, with James D'Arcy (Rebel Heart) as Nicholas and Sophia Myles (Mansfield Park) as his beautiful sister, Kate. Other standouts include Lee Ingleby (Ever After) as Smike, Nicholas' faithful companion, and Dominic West (28 Days) as the lecherous Sir Mulberry Hawk.

Dickens wrtiting and BBC Production....Brilliant

My Wife saw this at the library and borrowed it, well....we then had to buy it !!!
The BBC have remained true to the Dickens classics and Nicholas Nickleby is one of the best. This is a two part series and I am so glad I watched it on DVD, I would have hated to have to wait 24 hrs or (God forbid) a week) to see the 2nd installment. Thoroughly enjoyable with brilliant acting, directing and set and costume design.
Dickens classic characters are all brought to life with all human foibles such as meanness, pathos despair, high camp (the Shakespearean Actors are just hilarious).
Just sit back for a few hours and enjoy !!!
April 28, 2008

1993 vs 2002 vs 1977 vs 1947

The 1993 version of Nicholas Nickleby should not be considered. It is not merely the snake-faced appearance of the actor who plays the lead, nor the fact that he speaks as though he has a bad cold with a stuffed-up nose. But he is also a contemporary character, not a nineteenth-century character. And that's just for starters.

The 2002 version is not bad. With widescreen and surround sound and good photography, this is a good production for what appears to be a limited budget. Problems begin with the casting. The American actor who plays the lead speaks in a carefully articulated generic English accent, but that won't do, nor the fact that his manner and mannerisms are those of a contemporary rather than a period character. Christopher Plummer is an accomplished actor, but his effort here seems half-hearted, as though he didn't think much of this production. The actor who plays Smike mumbles his lines as though he is bucking for the role of Hamlet. The story is powerful enough that this movie is not a washout, but none of it is particularly well done.

What the above versions lack is comedy. Dickens was fond of mixing hilarious comedy with the most heart-rending drama, and Nicholas Nickleby is no exception. The above versions are merely drama. But the biggest crime is in the character of Mrs. Nickleby. Mrs. Nickleby is one of the great comic characters of world literature. Unfortunately, she is also politically incorrect. The above versions simply throw out her character and replace it with a blah nonentity.

The 1977 version. At over 5 hours, this version brings in more of the minor characters of this long story and treats the story according to the book. As often with the BBC, there is lavish attention to sets and their accuracy and little attention to anything else. The music is nonexistent. The photography is not bad indoors but the few outdoor scenes are overexposed. And the acting is marginal at best. Nigel Havers is much too old for the role of Nicholas but does an adequate job. The ending is satisfying. All in all, well worth seeing, especially for readers of the book. The emphasis is on drama. There is humor in the character of Mrs. Nickleby and an attempt at humor in a couple of the minor characters.

The 1947 version was made before the Dhimmist ideology came to dominate movie-making, and here we find Mrs. Nickleby in all her mind-boggling glory. In fact, all of the characters in this movie have that Dickensian edge that makes them larger, or at least more effective, than life. Good scripting and good direction make for a hard-hitting, heart-touching and occasionally side-splitting experience. The actors and actresses don't TRY to speak in an upper-middle-class British accent; they simply speak and behave as they normally would and it is true to the period. The pace is fast, and the script had to streamline some of the events, but all of the major events are here and are effectively presented. The ending is far more dramatic than in the other versions.
January 16, 2008

If you don't understand Dallimore, you don't understand Dickens...

I have seen only two adaptions of the classic Charles Dickens novel "The Life And Adventures Of Nicholas Nickleby" and I must say that between this and the dreaded Charlie Huffman version. This one is superior. In this miniseries, everything is accomplished. Is it complete faithfully? No, not in a sense. Does it truly capture a Dickens enviorment? Yes! My major complaint about the 2002 version was that not only was it completely unfaithful but it did not capture the feeling you are suppose to get when you watch a Dickens adapation. From actors to costumes and to costumes to set design and to set design to music. This adapation does everything right. September 4, 2007

Douglas McGrath Nicholas Nickleby is much Better

I was very disappointed with this production. I dont like it when someone takes a great classic novel and adds things in the production that is not there. It actually cheapens the novel.
Do yourself a favour and buy Douglas McGrath - Nicholas Nickleby. It is far Better. You will not be disappointed with it.
As for this DVD I will not be keeping it. It would have been an excellent Production if it was not for the added sences. April 5, 2007

Nicholas Nickelby

I throughly enjoyed this version of Nicholas Nickely with John Dallimore. A great performance, cast and backdrops. A truly entertaining film! March 9, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...