Nicholas Nickleby (2002)
Review by Thespia
Film:
DVD:

Directed by Stephen Whittaker
Written by Martyn Edward Hesford, based on the novel by Charles Dickens
Starring James D'Arcy, Charles Dance, Sophia Myles, Diana Kent, George Innes

Features:

• Filmographies
  
• Charles Dickens materials
  
• Photo gallery
  

Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio.

My Advice: Wait and watch it on Bravo.

After the death of his father, young Nicholas Nickleby (D’Arcy) must find a new life for himself, his mother, and his sister in cruel nineteenth-century England. Based on the novel by Dickens, it is, of course, mostly a tale of hardship and disappointment, but ends happily with the heroes being rewarded and the villains punished. The first half of the plot, which centers around Nicholas working in an abusively strict boarding school for boys, is extremely slow and boring. However, the second half picks up the pace and the characters become a bit more interesting. Anyone who is a fan of Dickens’ style would most likely appreciate the story, as well as the execution of the film itself. Those who are not fans of Dickens, however, will most likely find the film average at best.

The DVD has little in the way of features, and what few there are do little to enhance the enjoyment of the film itself. The cast filmographies and the photo gallery are nothing special. The information on Charles Dickens, including a list of written works and a biography, also could have been more extensive. Although the biography was well written, I couldn’t help thinking how much better a featurette might have been, one that outlined his life and works, especially because of the strong historical element in his stories. I also think that a commentary would have been very interesting. Even if the director and cast members had little interesting material to contribute, there are many historians specializing in the time period who could have shed some light on the history behind the story, as well as how historically accurate (or inaccurate) the novel and the movie are. Even a featurette with some of those same historians in lieu of a commentary would have been nice as well.

In general, if you’re a big Charles Dickens fan or a literature teacher who likes using multimedia presentations in the classroom, then a purchase or a rental of this DVD is in order.