Last Christmas less than 12 months ago we had a BBC TV version of Dickens’ tale with Gillian Anderson as Miss Haversham. It was solid, enjoyable, watchable TV entertainment, perfect for Christmas viewing, and Anderson was fantastic as Haversham as was Ray Winstone as Magwitch. Now, for some reason known only to themselves, the BBC (or at least BBC Films) have made another version, almost identical-looking but with a different cast.
The opening sequence on the marshes, and Miss Haversham’s house, are completely interchangeable, as is the performance of Pip. It has the same costumes, the same scenery, and some of the same lines. It’s difficult to fathom out exactly why it exists, but exist it does.
The only possible reason for making it again so soon is to give Helena Bonham Carter the part she was so clearly born for. Anderson was a brittle Miss Haversham, so dried out it’s no surprise when she catches fire. Bonham Carter goes much more for the gothic, as you’d expect wild eyed, wilder of hair, slumped in her absurd dining room half asleep, waking up only when Estella and her are plotting to break Pip’s heart. It’s a great performance which she clearly relishes, cleavage jacked up to her chin, eyes red and obsessed with trinkets and jewellery.
Apart from her there’s little the film gains over the TV programme. Winstone was a fine, scary Magwitch, but Ralph Fiennes is far too polite and hammy, not nearly scary enough. Vanessa Kirby was a superb Estella haughty, steely and ethereal Holliday Grainger is far too earthy, with her pudgy face and silly curly hair.
Jeremy Irvine’s and Douglas Booth’s portrayals of Pip are similarly wet, following his journey from blacksmith to London gentleman. I’ll be kind and gloss over Sally Hawkins and David Walliams Hawkins is a fine stage actress but the screen does her no favours, and here she is as mannered as in Happy-Go-Lucky. Walliams just does Frankie Howerd again, it’s becoming a one-trick pony. The best supporting role goes to Robbie Coltraine as the kindly solicitor Jaggers, who steers Pip through his adventure in London. Coltraine is wonderful understated and reveals real depth and gravitas, especially when telling Pip Estella’s back story.
Overall verdict: Needless and pointless version of the story which was told perfectly well 12 months ago, with a better cast and more pace. A strange move by the BBC, who seem to be going through something of a bad patch.
Reviewer: Mike Martin