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 Nicholas
Nickleby
 
Starring:
Charlie Hunnam, Jamie Bell, Christopher Plummer, Jim Broadbent,
Alan Cumming, Nathan Lane, Juliet Stevenson, Edward Fox, Tom Courtenay,
and Romaloa Garai.
Written By Charles Dickens.
Directed by: Douglas McGrath ( who adapted for the screen
too)
Even
if you didn't have a calendar you'd know by the multitude of Charles
Dickens productions feathered through the mediums it's the season…
And I say, being a Dickens addicted debutante, it's a glorious
time of the year!
This
season there's a particularly tasty new film version of Nicholas
Nickleby served up trussed and dressed! It's a beautiful piece
both extravagant and proper - as Dickens would have liked, I imagine.
Dickens always weaved in a less-than-subtle moral element into
his yarns. Here he shows us no matter how bad things get you must
stick to your beliefs and do onto others as you would wish them
to do to you.
Nicholas
is about a young man who is sent out in the world to earn his
keep after his father, a delicate but honest man, passes away.
Nicholas
and his small family, mother and sister, go down into London to
meet their uncle Ralph (Christopher -Capt. Von Trapp- Plummer).
Uncle Ralph is a very successful man without a moral strand in
his being. He sets up each of the kinfolk in some twisted job.
Nicholas is sent to Dotheboys' school for boys as a teacher.
The
school is run by two of Dickens' creepiest of characters, Mr.
and Mrs. Squeers (Jim Broadbent and Heather Goldenhersh). While
there he immediately befriends this slight of a boy that echoes
of Dickens' Oliver. The boy named Smike (Jamie Bell) is a tad
crippled. The 'orrible Squeers couple treats him worse than a
poor animal bred to slaughter (yech).
Nic
cannot bare the place, or their treatment of Smike, and soon the
two escape (or get thrown out depending on how you look at it)
and the real adventure begins.
Nicholas
and his adopted brother meet up with actors (Alan Cumming, Nathan
Lane and Barry Humphries) and become part of the show. Briefly
the two are silly and carefree… but this is Dickens and we
are enroute to a moral mind you so the reprieve of glee is brief,
if necessary.
The
two will go on a remarkable self-discovery journey as they are
penned through their fictional lives. It's Dickens remember so
it's rich and colorful riddled with memorable folks that ad whimsy
and mayhem through-out. A delectable dish of cinematic yum!
This
young buck Charlie Hunnam looks like he's cut from that same mold
as the edible Heath Ledger. He's tall and gorgeous like a torte
rustica teasing you beckoning you to partake in its fattening,
yet delectable layers of multiple tasty bits. Keep your eye out
for this guy!
Then
there's the titilating comedy troupe they've thrown in here. Being
a stereotypical openly gay male in a female's body (down to the
continual redesigning of my dwelling and the mandatory "straightening"
of picture frames at friends' abodes to my impeccable and grandly
opinionated tastes in theater) I find both Alan Cumming and Nathan
Lane are even my "type" of man filet. And they are ah-dorable
in this. Scrumptious fluttering flamboyant characters delivered
by flutter flamboyant characters! Purrfect m' dears.
Jim Broadbent, as always, steals his scenes. His lovely bride,
Heather Goldenhersh 's performance has me in therapy she was so
evil…
If you're a Dickens fan - it is a must see. If your into period
pieces done right- it is a must see. The whole cast of misfits
is here from the sinister Squeers family, to the quirky Crummle
troupe of thespian drama queens! This Nicholas Nickleby is a festive
treat as sweet as gooseberry jam!
The sets are beautiful and the actors superb. There are a few
tiny flaws - most from simply trying to translate an epic masterpiece
onto film…Sadly they chose to leave out chunks of the story
to make a ho-hum drum roll inducing ending; that stupid "shocker"
end. But the fluffy moral core that makes NN ageless manages
to shine brightly through this beautiful film, faux pax included,
making it a must see and, shortly, a mandatory edition to the
"authors" section of your DVD collection!
Snack Recommendation: Kidney pies and dark warm ale.
Official
site
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