Rating: 
Summary: "The very definition of goodness."
Review: I can honestly say that "Nicholas Nickleby" is my favorite of Dickens' works. His sinister villain, his earnest, upright, innocent hero, and the beautiful Kate and their plight for financial independence from their evil uncle Ralph have the foundation of a classic. I've seen several adaptations, including the more faithful Bravo version, but I like this one the best. I believe Douglas McGrath, who tastefully brought "Emma" to the silver screen, has taken an already impressive work and improved on it. The movie moves at a nice pace without becoming drenched in melodrama or lingering over the "darker" side of the story; but neither does it shy away from the meaner aspects of Dickens' characters. Uncle Ralph, if possible, is even more wicked than Dickens wrote him. It does this in a perfectly tasteful and intelligent manner and also incorporates much if the sardonic humor found in the books, something I've found the Bravo adaptation lacks.In case you're unfamiliar with the story, the film revolves around the life of young Nicholas Nickleby and his sister Kate. Their father has died, leaving them in the hands of his older and much more financially-minded brother Ralph. Desiring to be rid of Nicholas, Ralph seeks him employment with Wackford Squeers, the owner of a boys' school in the north country. The institution puts on a good public face but is in reality a squalor where the boys are mistreated and abused while Squeers and his wife pocket what little income they can provide. While attempting to teach at this "school," Nicholas meets the crippled Smike, an orphan whom the Squeers keep on out of "the goodness of their hearts." Eventually his friendship with Smike will have a vast impact on not only his life, but that of his uncle Ralph as well. The casting for this film is nothing short of exquisite. Douglas McGrath isn't afraid to cast British actor but American-unknown Charlie Hunnam in the lead. The young actor has a fluid intelligence in his performance and looks ideal in a period setting. Anne Hathaway ("The Princess Diaries") plays his love interest, and "Daniel Deronda's" Romola Garai is a beautiful and sweet Kate Nickleby. Throw in Christopher Plummer (whose snarling Uncle Ralph should have won an Oscar), Nicholas Rowe, Edward Fox, Jamie Bell, Nathan Lane, and Alan Cumming, and you have a well-rounded, top-notch cast. The roles are all performed with intelligence and insight, the costuming is lovely, and the script never lags. From a family -- and indeed a Christian perspective -- I'm happy to report that McGrath's screenplay maintains the height of decency. Even when dealing with tedious and "offensive" elements, such as Sir Mulberry Hawke's pursuit of Kate, the film does its best to present the scenario in a way which won't offend mainstream audiences. There are some intense scenes at the Squeers' school, where children are flogged, but these scenes are kept to a minimum and never overly graphic. I particularly enjoyed seeing Nicholas defend the honor of Smike, Madeline, and his sister Kate. For those who haven't read the novel, the story ends with a surprising twist with little clues planted along the way to point you toward the truth. For those who do know the ending, it's handled beautifully and has great screen impact. I was fortunate enough to see this on the big screen in a little theatre in the heart of the city while others were flocking to much bigger and less enthusiastic releases. I've looked forward to owning the DVD for a long time.
Rating:
Summary: A liltlingly evocative view of Dickens' Olde England
Review: NICHOLAS NICKLEBY is a genuine delight, a brilliant transcription of the lengthy novel by Charles Dickens into a near flawless film by crafty, witty, sensitive Douglas McGrath. Capturing the color (literally) and the flavors of Dickens' not so merry olde England, this fast paced frolic of a film concentrates on maintaining our interest in the myriad characters, explains every twist and turn of the convoluted plot, and is graced by a dream cast of superb actors: Charlie Hunnam, Jamie Bell, Tom Courtenay, Christopher Plummer, Nathan Lane, Alan Cumming, Juliet Stevenson, Jim Broadbent, newcomers Anne Hathaway and Romola Garai, and even "Dame Edna Everidge". They all interact with total conviction from the most morose parts to the festivals of glee. The score by Rachel Portman enhances the film well. This is simply one of the best filmed versions of a Dickens story yet made - 'or ever likely to be'. Highly Recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: smike
Review: Jamie Bell's performance as Smike is well worth the time/price spent on the movie. He was convincing all the way through and is the reason I've watched this movie multiple times.
Rating:
Summary: Nicely done........but the James D'Arcy version is better.
Review: This is a nice effort by director Douglas McGrath, who also brought us the excellent film adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma." It has light and airy feel to it with lovely and talented stars, beautiful cinematography and a partly comedic and partly dramatic treatment to Charles Dickens' story. Big kudos would go to the talented cast composed of Charlie Hunnam, Christopher Plummer, Anne Hathaway, Romola Garai, Juliet Stevenson and Jamie Bell. There are, however, some notable shortcomings. Having seen the 2001 tv version ("The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby") starring James D'Arcy (which is also available on DVD), I feel that this adaptation pales in comparison. For one, Charlie Hunnam (as Nicholas) feels a little out of place in this period piece. He just has such a modern look that he seems slightly awkward in this Victorian tale. James D'Arcy, on the other hand, seems natural to play Nicholas. He has that intensity and earnestness that makes you want to root for him from the start (and he is beautiful to watch, too). Christopher Plummer is always good in everything he does but to my eyes he pales in comparison to Charles Dance's excellent portrayal of Ralph Nickleby. Mr. Plummer's Ralph is mean spirited and cranky while Mr. Dance gives a more chilling and believable portrayal as Nicholas' greedy, heartless uncle. Another problem is the time constraints between film vs. tv. Clearly this version feels fairly rushed. I like to think of it as the "Cliff's Notes" version. There is little time to deal with character development and certain characters (such as the eccentric Mantalinis and the scheming Arthur Gride) and plot lines were lopped off. The tv version has the advantage of being able to stay more faithful to the story and introduce us to a colorful range of characters that makes for a richer adaptation. I enjoyed this version of Nicholas Nickleby. It is well worth renting on dvd. However, if I had a choice between this or the tv version, I would far prefer seeing the tall, handsome and talented James D'Arcy (who will soon be seen in Russell Crowe's "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World") play Nicholas over Charlie Hunnam. In short, this is nice to watch once in awhile but the 2001 tv version is the one I prefer to keep in my dvd library and watch again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Dickens' wish to share joy and happiness shines through...
Review: In a family where happiness ruled and where they always had enough, but never too much, Nicholas Nickleby grew up. One day his father decided to begin to speculate, which at that time was analogous to playing the stock market, as his older brother Ralph Nickleby made a great fortune in this manner. However, as for most speculators Mr. Nickleby was led into financial ruin and an early death instead of to a great fortune. On the brink of poverty the family seeks out their uncle Ralph, who helps the family, but with ulterior motives. The uncle sends Nicholas to a boarding school as a teacher where he is forced to witness the abusive Mr. Squeers assault the students, in particularl the young and crippled boy Smike. This turns into a turning point in Nicholas's life as he was raised to shelter happiness and spread joy of life. Nicholas Nickleby is based on Charles Dickens third book with the same name, and this adaptation is remarkably well planned as it offers the same interesting characters and intrigue where Nicholas sets out to find the means to help his family. On his journey Nicholas encounters several different individuals of questionable and honorable character, which is a frequent theme in Dickens' writing as can be observed in Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, and David Copperfield. Nicholas is one of these honorable characters and the story is based around his good qualities as others attempt to corrupt or injure his persona. McGrath does a terrific job in creating an atmosphere where good and evil are evident allowing the story to be learned by young as well as old. In the end, Nicholas Nickleby offers a good cinematic experience that has something for everyone.
Rating:
Summary: A good adaptaion, alternately humourous and dark
Review: Charles Dickens wrote the novel of Nicholas Nickelby as an indictment of the infamous "Yorkshire Schools" - English public schools in Yorkshire where unwanted children (bastards, etc.) were sent to be "educated" for the lowest possible price. One headmaster was jailed on account of his cruelty. With the purpose of denouncing these schools, Nicholas Nickelby shines forth with Dickens's trademark ironic wit. I'm happy to report that this film adaptation is faithful to the spirit of the original work - dark and monstrous when portraying evil at work, bright and cheerful when good triumphs. It's been some time since I read the book, but from what I remember, the film follows pretty closely with the action. Of course, it's necessarily abbreviated, but not detrimentally so (but see below). Nicholas, his sister Kate, and their mother have recently lost the patriarch of the family, and travel to London to see if his (extremely rich and selfish) uncle can help them get through their financial difficulties. Uncle promptly sends Nicholas off to teach as Dotheby's Hall, run by the notorious Squeers. He befriends a poor orphan named Smike, who is constantly abused by Squeers and his wife. Eventually, Nicholas has had enough and flees the school with Smike, setting up further adventures as he makes his way back to London to be with Kate and his mother. Jamie Bell's performance as Smike is the absolute highlight of the film. He cowers, limps, and somehow folds himself into the very representation of a crippled, malnourished, and abused boy. Christopher Plummer's scenery-chewing Uncle Ralph is also impressive, as are the performances of the principles and the entire supporting cast. The direction is sure, London is suitably dank and smokey (although, oddly, the mud and filth doesn't seem to get onto the characters' clothes), and the score is quite nice. Although the story follows relatively closely to the book, there are times when Dickens's irony is instead shown as melodrama - one of the problems with adapting Dickens is that his sardonic wit is often part of the narration, not part of the characters. Apart from the Squeers family, Nicholas Nickelby's original sarcasm is buried. Likewise, with the cutting of characters, it's the comic relief characters that are sacrificed (e.g. Tim Linkwater (?) and Miss Lacreevy). The movie simply isn't as funny as the book, but still, full marks for what must have been a tough adaptation from a 750 page book! For my money, Ang Lee's "Sense and Sensibility" is still the best film made from a "classic" English novel. This film is quite close, though. The DVD edition is quite nice - the director is unusually candid and well-spoken, so the behind-the-scenes featurettes and the director's commentary are quite good.
Rating:
Summary: The Smike
Review: The story of "Nicholas Nickleby" is nothing if not an affirmation that Good will always triumph over Evil. And Charles Dickens has a fine time in the novel on which this film is based, telling us Nicholas' story and that of his family, friends and enemies.
It is always a risk transferring a classic such as this to the screen, especially one so long in length, where it becomes a matter of choosing the right moments to bring to the screen intact and which others not to. The best adaptations are those that visualize those moments that will give the viewer the essence of what an author intends on the printed page.
Douglas McGrath the director and writer here proved that he has what it takes for such an enterprise in his loving adaptation of "Emma" with the glowing central performance of Gwenyth Paltrow. He is arguably less successful here with Charles Hunnam as Nicholas but overall, this film gets to you on the sheer will of the filmmakers and the performers to do justice to Dickens' time-honored and beloved story.
McGrath's "Nicholas Nickleby" is well paced, beautifully shot and well cast with Christopher Plummer, Tom Courtenay and Romola Garai doing exceptional work.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful and touching movie
Review: I thought this was a very touching movie. In in the movie, Nicholas seemed to have lost everything. But it showes to have hope. And the cool thing is, that this story could of happened to anyone. And there are no extra efects, but it is still a very nice movie with lots of fealings. That is what makes it a wonderful mmovie. I bet Charles Dikenson would be proud! I would give it 10 stars if I could!
Rating:
Summary: entertaining - jaime bell outshines!
Review: this movie was very entertaining. being ahuge dickens fan myself, i recommend it to all fans of his work. more importantly, after seeing jaime bell in billy elliott and in this film, playing smike, it is crystal clear this young man needs to make more motion pictures.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I haven't read the book, but watching the movie and enjoying the characters has definitely put Nicholas Nickleby up there on my "to-read" list! The acting was great; there was a good balance of comedy and drama. It's just a good story all around. Visually, I really enjoyed the film's look, especially the colors and cinematography. The dialogue did get rather soft in some scenes--in fact, I had to flip on the subtitles a few times, but I was so involved in the story that I didn't mind doing that to find out what was going to happen next. This is just a good good story, without a lot of the trash that completely permeates today's movies and books.
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