Nicholas Nickleby and others..
Jul. 3rd, 2003 05:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
burntcopperIt's a nice film. Directed and adapted by the bloke who did the Emma screenplay, so it flows nicely. It's also a game of 'Spot the respected British Actor' - Juliet Stevenson, Christopher Plummer, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall, Tom Courtenay, Alan Cumming, Jamie Bell (yes, we are including him as the boy deserves it)... And they're all fabulous. Really, really fantastic. As is Nathan Lane. Everyone's of such good quality, that Charlie Hunnam falls down as Nicholas. He's not bad, he's just not as good as everyone else who all outshine him. Especially considering he's up against Jamie Bell as Smike (little cripple boy, and he's so convincing as a lame boy that it's bloody amazing, considering this is a boy known for his grace) and Christopher Plummer for a lot of his scenes. Recommended, probably chopped to smithereens to get it into 2 hours, but pretty good.
And now for the slash commentary. You knew this was coming. This film is all about the Nicholas/Smike. From the instant Nicholas makes friends with Smike, it's all about protection, seeking comfort, limpid looks and 'comfort me' looks from Smike (Jamie does hurt anguish looks so well), begging each other not to leave them, declarations of love and devotion (I'm serious about this), and dear god, the scene in the abandoned house where they're staring into each others' eyes and saying they love each other and promisig never to leave the other one's side? Ther is no subtext. None whatsoever. So much so that when Smike's dying from consumption at the end and saying he loves Kate, Nicholas' sister, you're going 'Shyeah, right. Just because Nicholas has decided to moon over this girl he's met all of three times for two seconds. And that lock of hair is not Kate's, admit it.'
But Christopher Plummer is such a bastard it's wonderful, and yay! Dickens did a three dimensional rich bastard! It's rather sweet how fond he is of his niece Kate, even if he is quite willing to use her to curry favour.
The quest for trousers is still a miserable failure. Need to complete an application form for Short-Text writer for the Tate and a letter for another job before I bugger off to Nottingham until Tuesday - Gran's birthday, plus she's sick and it doesn't look like she's got too long left, and we're also going to be organising the house a bit so she can get home help. She's lost a lot of mobility and there's no way she's going into a home, and the general consensus is someone to help her with housework, shopping and provide company's best, plus it's a hell of a lot cheaper.
And now for the slash commentary. You knew this was coming. This film is all about the Nicholas/Smike. From the instant Nicholas makes friends with Smike, it's all about protection, seeking comfort, limpid looks and 'comfort me' looks from Smike (Jamie does hurt anguish looks so well), begging each other not to leave them, declarations of love and devotion (I'm serious about this), and dear god, the scene in the abandoned house where they're staring into each others' eyes and saying they love each other and promisig never to leave the other one's side? Ther is no subtext. None whatsoever. So much so that when Smike's dying from consumption at the end and saying he loves Kate, Nicholas' sister, you're going 'Shyeah, right. Just because Nicholas has decided to moon over this girl he's met all of three times for two seconds. And that lock of hair is not Kate's, admit it.'
But Christopher Plummer is such a bastard it's wonderful, and yay! Dickens did a three dimensional rich bastard! It's rather sweet how fond he is of his niece Kate, even if he is quite willing to use her to curry favour.
The quest for trousers is still a miserable failure. Need to complete an application form for Short-Text writer for the Tate and a letter for another job before I bugger off to Nottingham until Tuesday - Gran's birthday, plus she's sick and it doesn't look like she's got too long left, and we're also going to be organising the house a bit so she can get home help. She's lost a lot of mobility and there's no way she's going into a home, and the general consensus is someone to help her with housework, shopping and provide company's best, plus it's a hell of a lot cheaper.
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no subject
Date: 2003-07-03 08:08 pm (UTC)"...Smike is my love interest. We get all these long lingering looks...."
And we think we're being subversive! The actors are all getting in on it. Intensional encouragement of slash seems to be all the rage.
no subject
Date: 2003-07-24 04:27 pm (UTC)so very frustrating that searchs for "nicholas/smike slash" only bring up your LJ [sighs]
no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 12:57 pm (UTC)