This Dickens story has been told numerous times before, but this version has a relentlessly dark and dreary overtone. Orphan Pip (Fionn Whitehead) leaves his childhood apprentice as a blacksmith to travel to London to become a gentleman. In the interim, he’s sent to be trained in all manner of society at the home of a bitter, sequestered spinster (Olivia Colman). Given Colman’s star power, the producers decided to boost her role, while leaving other elements out. Most notable, Dickens usually includes some comic relief, often in the form of characters. No hint of comic relief here. Alas, this version revels in bleek darkness in tone and cinematography with much emotion to give it warmth. 
(1.5 / 5)
