Mr. Pip (2012)

IMDb plot summary: As a war rages on in the province of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, a young girl becomes transfixed by the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations, which is being read at school by the only white man in the village.
Directed by Andrew Adamson. Starring Hugh Laurie, Xzannjah Matsi, Healesville Joel, and Eka Darville.

(Spoilers.)

This was such a mixed bag. On one hand, I really loved Matilda's story. She was a great character, and the connection she made with the Great Expectations story was fantastic. I could have happily watched more of her story. What fell flat for me, however, was the emphasis on Hugh Laurie's character. His character was never really fleshed out, so the reveal of some of his personal life at the end seemed random more than anything else. The story is clearly not meant to be about his character and Matilda's relationship, it's meant to be about Matilda's relationship with the book characters, even if he helped bring that about. I think the movie doesn't ever quite hit its mark, though I appreciate the story it's trying to tell.

2 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Mr. Pip < The Fall
Mr. Pip > Rebel Without a Cause
Mr. Pip > A Christmas Carol (2004)
Mr. Pip < L.A. Confidential
Mr. Pip < Blade Runner
Mr. Pip > The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
Mr. Pip > Cinderella (1965)
Mr. Pip < The Aristocats
Mr. Pip > Alfie (2004)
Mr. Pip > Cracks
Final spot: #1475 out of 2464.