TheLittleSongbird My first exposure to The Old Curiosity Shop was through the Derek Jacobi/Toby Jones adaptation, that respective year's literary adaptation of the Christmas break. Without having read the book beforehand, that was surprisingly good, Jones' Quilp was particularly memorable. Since then, I saw two other adaptations and read the book. The book is not one of Dickens' masterpieces(better than Barnaby Rudge though at least) but if you love Dickens everything you love about his writing is in The Old Curiosity Shop, so it is a highly recommended book. Whimsical, intense and with some of Dickens' best comic scenes.The other two adaptations were a 80s low-budget animated version from Australia and this one, the 1979 TV series is very high on the must-see-but-not-yet-watched list. The animated version was pretty poor really and only had the background art going for it.But this version is very good and really nicely done, of the three adaptations seen it's the best. It's very beautifully photographed with countryside scenery to die for, true to period costumes and is reasonably evocative. The city settings could have looked a little more grim though, occasionally they did look too clean. One of only two things that the Jacobi version did better, the other being the handling of Little Nell's death. Still moving here but also a little discreet whereas it was heart-breaking in Jacobi's. The music never overbears things, neither does it feel too low-key, while the dialogue is intelligently adapted and easy to understand.The story keeps one's attention throughout and doesn't feel overly-simplified(certainly not to the extent of the 1974 TV film of Great Expectations), the basic gist of Dickens' writing and such are intact. The pacing is fine on the whole, with only a couple of scenes like the schoolmaster scene that were a little on the rushed side.And the performances are excellent, the secondary roles are very well filled and true to Dickens. Peter Ustinov is in more restrained mode here than usual, and gives a charming and compassionate performance that is capable of both quirks and nuances. At no point to this viewer did he feel hammy. Sally Walsh is radiant and innocent as well as allowing us to identify and sympathise with her. She's also closer in age to the Little Nell of the Jacobi version and doesn't fall into the trap of being cloying and bland. But it's Tom Courtenay who takes the acting honours, a fine and sometimes under-valued actor Courtenay is literally unrecognisable and gives an extremely vivid and sinister performance(especially in the facial expressions). Toby Jones brings out more of the twisted dwarf part of the character but Courtenay is much creepier and much more vivid.So all in all, very good version that works as an adaptation and on its own. 8.5/10 Bethany Cox

johannes2000-1 As a big Dickens-fan I read the book a few years ago and thought it (along with Dombey and Son) one of his best: a road-movie-like coming-of-age story that gives us some of the finest (and most hilarious) of Dickens-characters, like the notorious Quilp, his mother-in-law, Dick Swiveller and the Brass-siblings, and a beautiful description of the English countryside. Although there is a fair amount of (melo)drama involved, Dickens succeeds in keeping a light tone and an fine calculated balance between the laughs, the tears and the fast-paced intrigue. It's some 600 odd pages (in my Penguin copy), and like with all of Dickens' novels I usually am disappointed in any adaptation for the screen: there's just too much going on in the book, too many important characters, too many story-lines, and the necessary cuts - even in the more spacious room of a mini-series - have a way of cramping up the story and caving out the depth and shades out off many of the side-characters to leave them the outline of a mere caricature. So I was very surprised to find that this adaptation completely proved my prejudices wrong. This is an excellent movie! It's very true to the book, almost all the characters have kept there place and there own special charms, and the tone of the movie has exactly the right balance of lightness and seriousness. I had the impression that all the main characters and plot-lines of the novel found (thanks to some very good writing) there place in the movie, apart from leaving out one schoolboy-character who dies somewhere in the middle of the novel, evidently the writer and director found two child-deathbeds a bit too much (as I thought so too when reading the novel, to be honest). The acting is overall great and by some of the cast superb. Peter Ustinov for instance is very convincing as the grandfather who is full of love for Nell as well as full of sinister secrets and he plays his role with a kind of modest dignity. Sally Walsh is excellent too, of course she had the burden of a Dickens-heroine and has to be throughout the whole of the movie this endearing spotless angel. This can easily result in an irritating goody-two-shoes, but Sally Walsh succeeds in keeping up a strong and sympathetic character with just the right mixture of half-child, half grown-up person. However, the undisputed star of this version is Tom Courtenay as the infamous Quilp: the sinister face, the spasmodic movements, the lisped voice and the sardonic humor are brought with just the right amount of restraint to make him totally believable. A special mention should go to William Mannering, the young actor who plays Kit. He didn't have much screen-experience at that time, judging from the information on IMDb, but he gave a great performance an moved me to tears at the dramatic ending. The direction by Kevin Connor was very good, as was the beautiful photography and settings. An absolute 10!!

Dillon Naber This is a great movie. Very well acted by all the main characters, and the setting is superb. A wonderful story of human tragedy and triumph. Anyone who is a fan of Charles Dickens will love this movie. The attention to period detail in the costumes and scenery is very good. Some lessons can be learned about human nature as well from this story. Highly recommended.

philtrau-2 For anyone who loves Dickens, this is going to be a surprise of the best kind. Few productions can capture the details that make Dickens' words come alive. This version of The Old Curiosity Shop does more with an empty set than most do at full steam. The set design strengthens every performance, adding nuance and flavor to actors who are already working at the peak of their craft.If this seems like slavering, it's only because something of this quality comes maybe once a decade. The cast is a director's dream, and each member delivers just the right spice to this dish.With so much excellence, it would seem incongruous to isolate any single aspect as standing out, but Tom Courtney, as the menacing Quilp becomes the very heart of Evil around which all this revolves. And a more entertaining Evil you will never see. He makes Quilp a fascination first to last.This is a recommendation for anyone; and a must-see for Dickens fans.