I was looking forward to this adaptation but despite some highlights, the story inevitably suffers from the indignity of being squeezed into a 90 minute run time. Significant sections of the admittedly lengthy book are ignored and I think the characters suffer as a result. It feels rushed and the lack of detail gives us no opportunity to get to know and crucially, care about the misfortunes suffered by Little Nell and her grandfather. I felt Little Nell was miscast, the actor looking too old and giving a fairly quiet and unengaging performance. Derek Jacobi was OK as the grandfather but the way his actions were portrayed made it hard to forgive him for their downfall. Frustratingly, other key individuals such as Mrs Jarley were given little screen time or were missing altogether as we are hurried to the end of the film. Some highlights include Toby Jones as the loathsome Quilp and Adam Godley as his subservient lawyer, Samson Brass. The production also looks quite good with some nicely atmospheric sets. It could have been great, especially with Toby Jones at its core but it should have been much longer or serialised.
Review of The Old Curiosity Shop
