Anne Hathaway and Charlie Hunnam are Victorians in love in this period drama

On the surface, Anne Hathaway And Charlie Hunnam embody very different areas of Hollywood storytelling. The latter has well-known roles in action-packed projects like Sons of Anarchy And Pacific Rim have made Hunnam known for a darker, grittier personality in recent years, while Hathaway’s entrepreneurial innocence in The devil wears Prada and classic turn as the stunned Mia Thermopolis The Princess Diaries have made her synonymous with down-to-earth yet self-confident heroines. Over the last decade, Hathaway has also morphed into more morally complex, darker characters with her role as Fantine Tom Hoopers Les Miserables and the newer one Your ideaBut those who want to relive the nostalgia of both actors’ early days can watch them deal with a very different kind of aristocracy in the rich 2002 Victorian drama Nicholas Nickleby.

Screenplay and direction: Douglas McGrath and is based on the novel of the same name by Charles Dickensthis adaptation is A masterclass in bringing a literary classic to the screenwhich is easily one of the best Hollywood adaptations of Dickens’ works. With lavish set design, careful attention to Victorian clothing, the squalor and splendor of early 19th century London, and all the heartwarming highs and dark lows of a Dickens story, it’s no wonder that McGrath’s film resonated with critics and audiences alike. One of the film’s most impressive features is its spirited pacing, as McGrath manages to fit Dickens’ extensive narrative into a film just over two hours long without relying too heavily on scenery to keep things interesting. Instead, Nicholas Nickleby takes audiences through the cruelty and serenity of early Victorian England, making it a compelling film for anyone wanting to return to a more romantic time.

What is “Nicholas Nickleby” from 2002 about?

Hunnam plays the eponymous Nicholas Nickleby, a young man from Devonshire named after his father, whose life’s path is changed forever when the elder Nickleby gambles away all of the family’s money and subsequently dies. Forced to care for his mother and sister Kate (Romola Garai), this sudden death leaves Nicholas behind No choice but to visit his wealthy uncle in LondonRalph (Christopher Plummer), whose cold demeanor soon gives way to a seemingly more generous demeanor. Ralph agrees to get Kate work in a tailor’s shop and helps Nicholas find a job as a school teacher at the supposedly prestigious boarding school Dotheboys Hall. Ralph soon arranges for his nephew to be released and seemingly stabilizes the family’s fortunes, but all is not as it seems in London.

When Nicholas arrives at Dotheboys, he witnesses the boys suffering in the worst conditions imaginable. The Headmaster Wackford Squeers (Jim Broadbent) and his wife frequently beat the boys when Broadbent’s character does not teach them how to misspell the word botany. Jamie Bells Smike has it the worst, as the boy’s inability to pay the Dotheboys’ tuition leads to the Squeers exploiting him as an indentured servant until Nicholas finally freaks out and releases them both. Afterwards, the couple briefly make a living with a traveling theater troupe until Nicholas returns to London after receiving bad news, where it turns out that Ralph has broken his word and is planning to marry Kate to the sticky Sir Mulberry Hawk (Edward Fox). This leads to a triumphant confrontation in the course of which Nicholas defies his uncle and takes back his familywhich deepens the pair’s rivalry with a stirring scene that will make you want to watch this Dickens adaptation again for its emotional power alone.

Charlie Hunnam and Anne Hathaway bring true love to this outstanding adaptation of Dickens

Hathaway plays Madeline Bray in McGrath’s Nicholas Nicklebya young painter whom Nicholas meets briefly when he first arrives at his uncle’s house in London gets to know each other much more deeply after cutting ties with Ralph. The daughter of Nicholas’ next employer’s first love, Charles Cheeryble (Timothy Spall), Bray works tirelessly to provide for her father (David Bradley), who himself owes a great debt of gratitude to Nicholas’ uncle. Ralph later attempts to exploit this connection by forgiving the elder Bray’s debts in exchange for Madeline’s engagement to Sir Hawk. with the aim of ruining his nephew’s romantic dreams for his own benefitbut the sudden death of Madeline’s father ruins these plans and she gives up Nicholas Nickleby A romance that, in contrast to the more realistic romantic comedies of recent Hathaway times, seems divinely ordained.

In many ways, the relationship between Madeline and Nicholas is the heartfelt backbone of McGrath’s film, a fantasy inspired by Nicholas’s earliest memories of his father and until then hidden from him Nicholas Nicklebys third act and Hathaway and Hunnam really shine as the kind of true lovers that could inspire Victorian sonnets. For her part, Hathaway successfully embodies the modesty and sensitivity of the archetypal Victorian love interest. Her soft voice and shy demeanor seem almost meek in the early scenes, but Madeline’s vulnerability in finally confessing her feelings for Hunnam’s dashing Nicholas gives the character that little bit of heart found in Hathaway’s best films. Alternatively, Hunnam plays brilliantly against his current type as the film’s consummate gentleman. to give the audience an inviolable character His gentle kindness is as charming as his temperament is heroic as he passionately defends his sister and Smike.

“Nicholas Nickleby” receives support from a top-class supporting cast

However, it would be a far greater crime than any other Ralph commits, not to mention the extraordinary talent on display among them as well Nicholas Nickleby’s supporting actor. Aside from the film’s angelic leads, Broadbent beautifully embodies the inept Mr. Squeers, with his grumpiness and skill and lateness Christopher Plummer delivers an impressive interpretation of Ralph Nickleby, balancing the character’s dramatic aspects with his cold demeanor. As do the comedic talents of the industry’s heavyweights Nathan Lane And Alan Cumming Make the scenes engaging Nicholas Nicklebys Theater troupe the most entertaining part of the film. Cummings’ performance in particular complements his work in the 1996s Emmawho demonstrates his talent for great historical films. But when you balance the character’s adoration for Nicholas with the orphan’s boyish fear of being kidnapped by Squeers again, this is without a doubt the film’s most moving performance young Jamie Bell’s heartbreaking portrayal of Smike.

However, as an adaptation of a now nearly two-century-old novel, it’s fair to say that McGrath’s film has its artistic flaws. Those expecting the outdated conventions of Victorian society to be viewed through a harsh, critical lens will certainly be disappointed, but Nicholas Nickleby Despite it shines with its progressive interpretation of traditional English values. Indeed, the dialogue and Lane’s narration in the film’s two most critical scenes – Nicholas and Madeline’s first kiss and the double wedding that ends McGrath’s film – make this clear Nicholas Nickleby eschews strict definitions of love and family in favor of a more universal appeal. Instead of playing the knight in shining armor who frees Madeline from her toxic father, Nicholas makes it clear that their marriage will be about them saving each other Lane’s final lines advocate for the families we find and not those into which people are born.

In the end, McGrath’s film not only achieves this balance between contemporary and Victorian values, but also a successful reproduction of the contradictory tones at the heart of Dickens’ most accomplished works. The uplifting romance of Hunnam and Hathaway’s characters is offset by Smike’s subsequent tuberculosis diagnosis, while arguably the film’s darkest moment follows shortly thereafter. After losing most of his fortune in a risky investment, Plummer’s Ralph delivers a heartbreaking monologue before hanging himself In the final moments of the film, he is overcome with grief when he learns that Smike is actually his long-lost heir. But while Hunnam may have missed his chance to appear in other major projects like Star Wars at this time, that’s ultimately the case Sons of Anarchy The actor’s saving relationship with Hathaway’s Madeline Bray Nicholas Nicklebys A historical epic in its darkness with enough romance to make you cry in more ways than one.

Nicholas Nickleby is currently available to stream on Tubi in the US

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