Directed by:
Andrew AdamsonScreenplay:
Andrew AdamsonCinematography:
John ToonComposer:
Harry Gregson-WilliamsCast:
Hugh Laurie, Kerry Fox, Eka Darville, Florence Korokoro, Xzannjah Matsi, Healesville Joel, David Kaumara, Hayden Frost, James Gaylyn, Cameron RhodesPlots(1)
Set in the Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville during an ongoing civil war, Mr. Pip stars Golden Globe-winner Hugh Laurie (House) as the enigmatic teacher Mr Watts, the only white man left on the island after the blockade. He opens the school and introduces the children the 'Great Expectations.' Matilda, the teenage narrator finds comfort in the story of a Victorian orphan when her own world is falling apart. The Redskins, an army sent to destroy the local rebels are getting closer. Matilda writes 'Pip' in the sand. This simple act leads to terrible consequences when the Redskins suspect Pip to be a rebel leader and demand he be brought before them. A wonderful tale of the imaginative power of story reveals that on an island at war, fiction can have dangerous consequences. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (2)
I read the book a few weeks before seeing the movie and I kind of have to compare. The book isn't exactly a literary treasure either, but it's definitely readable, fairly short, and definitely more interesting than the movie. We get all the characters portrayed with far greater complexity. The film was quite naive and the ending was so resplendent; even though horrors had happened beforehand, it almost seemed that it hadn’t affected the young lady that much. The film lacked rhythm. The only thing I appreciate about it are the scenes with the dreamy Pip. Otherwise, an average film from a place affected by civil war (don't expect war scenes though).
()
Mr. Pip is a beautiful movie. It is very sad, after all, that’s life, but it can still captivate you. It has an absolutely amazing informative value. Or what a mere book can do in the society of today’s inhabitants of Papua New Guinea. Hugh Laurie surprised me a lot in this movie. In fact, he didn’t have to deliver any special performance, it was enough for him to act like a human being. And he did so, as well as the rest of the crew. The result is probably the deepest, saddest and at the same time the most beautifully filmed human story that the filmmaking world has been able to offer me recently.
()
Ads