Great Expectations
Outsource Media Group (OMG) | Release Date: November 8, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
60
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
14
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanNov 7, 2013
Thrillingly told, compellingly acted and beautifully shot. Read full review
80
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlNov 5, 2013
Newell's film doesn't supplant Lean's, of course. The yearning is more vague, the gloom less consummate. But it's the best since, rich in feeling and dark beauty, alive with the superior scenecraft, chatter, and imagination of the most beloved of novelists. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerDavid HiltbrandNov 8, 2013
More important, Nicholls has created a rich alternative conclusion, one that poignantly sweetens the love story. It's a novel approach to Great Expectations - sharp and gritty giving way to a sentimental finish - and a satisfying one. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesMary HoulihanNov 8, 2013
Director Mike Newell and screenwriter David Nicholls focus on the major plot points of the well-known story. Their attempts mostly work but at times the film, despite its two-hour-plus length, feels rushed and truncated. Read full review
75
USA TodayClaudia PuigNov 7, 2013
It's an oft-told tale, but director Mike Newell's handsome version of Charles Dickens' epic novel is marked by strong performances, well-developed characters and gorgeous cinematography. Read full review
75
McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreNov 7, 2013
So even though this isn’t the greatest of “Expectations” — David Lean’s black and white version in the ’40s will your heart — it’s still a pretty grand one. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneySep 20, 2013
Vivid characterizations from Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter are the highlights of Mike Newell's traditional retelling of the classic Dickens novel. Read full review
63
New York PostKyle SmithNov 7, 2013
An honorable, sober but completely unnecessary take on the Dickens novel, Great Expectations serves as a fine introduction to the story but won’t excite those familiar with previous versions. Read full review
63
ObserverRex ReedNov 5, 2013
If your own expectations are not too high, you crave period-costume drama and you’re one of those unfortunate people who refuses to watch anything in glorious black-and-white, this Great Expectations is worth the time and effort. Read full review
60
Arizona RepublicBarbara VanDenburghNov 8, 2013
It’s all very competent, containing all the separate components we ask of period pieces and literary adaptations: great actors, dramatic staging, lush scenery, elaborate costuming. It looks as pretty as a tightly cinched corset, and leaves just as little room to breathe. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierNov 7, 2013
Director Mike Newell’s rich take on the story is a fine introduction for new viewers. Read full review
60
The DissolveAndrew LapinNov 6, 2013
Newell brings the tale a brisk touch, avoiding the fate of Victorian costume epics bloated by too much window-dressing. Read full review
60
Time OutKeith UhlichNov 6, 2013
Once Pip reaches the big city, Newell starts losing the dramatic focus, piling on incidents and revelations with a bombastic force that makes it seem as if we’re watching a cheap 19th-century telenovela. Read full review
60
VarietyJustin ChangSep 20, 2013
Working from a tightly compressed screenplay by David Nicholls, director Mike Newell strikes the beats of a deservedly oft-told tale with dour competence but little in the way of dramatic inspiration or visual flair. Read full review
60
EmpireGuy LodgeSep 20, 2013
It’s handsome, involving and stars the cream of British acting talent — but so did Lean’s unbeatable version, and Newell and Nicholls’ safe, schoolteacher-friendly interpretation makes no real case for going down this much-travelled road once more. Read full review
60
Time Out LondonCath ClarkeSep 20, 2013
What marks out director Mike Newell and writer David Nicholls’s version is its impeccable acting. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawSep 20, 2013
A watchable and accessible revival, though not groundbreaking, and not quite matching the story's passionate fear and rapture. Read full review
60
Total FilmKate StablesSep 20, 2013
Big vistas and big names can’t compensate for the film’s necessity to cram Dickens’ rich, sprawling set of characters and twisty subplots into a two-hour film. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloNov 6, 2013
In the end, a thoroughly needless rehash. Read full review
50
Portland OregonianMarc MohanNov 14, 2013
There’s nothing approaching a unique take on the story. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comSteven BooneNov 8, 2013
The Newell Great Expectations is just a good-looking Classics Illustrated rundown, something to help high schoolers labor through a Dickens English assignment a little faster. Read full review
50
The New York TimesStephen HoldenNov 7, 2013
Containing enough characters and subplots for three movies, the novel has been nearly suffocated by Mr. Newell (“Four Weddings and a Funeral”) and his screenwriter, David Nicholls, in an effort to get everything in. Read full review
40
The TelegraphRobbie CollinSep 20, 2013
It’s less an adaptation than a recapitulation. Read full review
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