While it may seem impossible to turn an 800-page Charles Dickens novel into a film of reasonable length without doing it a great injustice, writer/director Douglas McGrath succeeds admirably with Nicholas Nickleby.
The story revolves around the journey toward justice of 19-year-old Nicholas Nickleby (Charlie Hunman), who has recently lost his father. Along with his mother and sister, he seeks aid from his uncle Ralph (Christopher Plummer). Plummer offers a seamless rendition of the malicious Ralph, and his devilish performance is complemented masterfully by Jim Broadbent's own as Wackford Squeers - the sadistic, one-eyed and absolutely horrifying director of the boarding school where Nickleby works.
Ensconced in a helpless situation, Nickleby seems downright overmatched. It's a good thing, however, that he receives a little help from his friends - token bright characters introduced into the mix to balance the evil.
What ensues is an emotional rollercoaster created by the quick scene-changes and McGrath's insightful juxtaposition of good and evil. While one is oftentimes befuddled by what had just occurred in the 19th century London setting, all the loose ends tied themselves up in the end. The gaps in the story may have been distracting and the acting, especially Hunman's, may have been a bit rigid, but the overall portrayal of Dickens' story was a highly entertaining one.
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