A Young Man with Great Expectations

It is quite surprising that Julian Jarrod (as the director) did not use the famous first line of the novel: ‘My father’s family name being Pirrip, and my christian name Phillip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip.’. However, instead of the absence of that line, I do enjoy this BBC adaptation. Some characters are erased, surely, but generally it does not ruin the main plot.

Ioan Gruffud’s acting is okay even though I won’t say it is special. One thing for sure is, he is HOT HOT HOT, especially when he’s doing the blacksmith work. What I like about Ioan being Pip is that he got this rough look, so even though Pip has turned into a gentleman wearing expensive suits, you still can sense that Kent-quality of his. I also think that Ioan could show Pip’s unique relationship with Estella and Abel Magwitch. Different from Ethan Hawke’s version of Pip who looks very obsessed with Estella, Ioan’s Pip is calmer when he shows he loves Estella ‘against reason, against promise, against peace, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement there could be’. Aahh, Pip, why don’t you just forget Estella and share your love to Herbert Pocket? *grins devilishly*

Oh, talking about Herbert Pocket played by Daniel Evans, he is so cute! Watching it, I was like ‘Oh come on, Pip, you have a cute and kind friend like Herbert, just kick Estella out of your mind!’ LOL LOL. I mean, in the old version of Great Expectations, Herbert always looks a bit ... dumb. But this version of Herbert, oh my, I wanna have one Herbert in my house, please!

I must say I like this version of Miss Havisham. She doesn’t look wacky at all, but we all could see how broken her heart is. And those cold blue eyes of the actress, they are just perfect.

And Estella, I could have one word: COLD.

Oh that boy who plays as little Pip is also very cute and can act well. He looks like Ioan as well.

So, some of my fav scenes are:
-When Pip kisses Estella softly on the cheek after having a dinner with Miss Havisham’s cousins. When Ioan’s lips touching her cheek ... I think I wanna have one sweet kiss like that.
-When Abel Magwitch comes to Pip’s apartment and reveals the truth. Pip’s expression makes you as shocked as he is.
-The ending scene (which is different from the book), Pip plays card with Estella again in Satin House, referring to their childhood. Estella and Pip may not be getting married and having a happy happy joy joy family, but somehow from that scene, you know that they’re unseparable now.

A year ago, Sindro was obsessed with BBC’s Bleak House, and now, maybe that kind of feeling on Great Expectations is growing in me. I am just in lurrrv with it.