Matrixston Wow! Such a good movie.

Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

pajevich I really enjoyed watching this movie, and I got much more than I expected. This movie shows universality of the world, despite cultural differences. It shows sorrow and joy, the good and bad in people. Hugh Laurie is truly a magnificent actor, who very well portrayed mysterious man yet full of sorrow. It shows how life is unpredictable, how life is simultaneousness of good and bad things. When I finished watching this movie I remembered the famous quote "there is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future". If you decide to watch this movie you'll enjoy the wonderful scenes filmed in Papua New Guinea and New Zealend, wonderful acting by Hugh Laurie and Xzannjah Matsi, story about life how it really is. This movie was filmed two years ago and it is still relatively unknown. I hope this will change because this is a movie that everyone should see. This is maybe not a movie for Oscars (not that it's not better than many movies that had won best picture), but you will enjoy watching it, you'll feel sad at the moments, but you will think about it later on.

WingedHeartOhio When I first read what this movie was about, I wasn't quite sure what to think about it. Then, from the very beginning, I didn't have to think as I truly FELT every word, every victory, every cruel and unjust act. Hugh Laurie was absolutely fantastic as the teacher and only white man in the province of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, where a war wages on over control of the world's largest open copper mine. It is he who introduces the children to Charles Dickens' novel, Great Expectations. As skilled as Laurie is, the real star of this movie is young Xzannjah Matsi as Matilda. She becomes totally enthralled with the novel and fantasizes herself as part of it. There is great beauty in this movie -- the relationship between teacher and student, the tropical scenery, etc. However, as unsettling as it is, there is also great tragedy and violence as one would imagine. What is truly commendable is the way this director has interwoven the two. I highly recommend this thought-provoking, well-acted, and well-written movie. It will stay with you long after the last scene is over.

rainworx A great film...I thought Xzannjah Matsi, Healesville Joel and Hugh Laurie were amazing in this story set on Bougainville Island, part of the Solomon Islands, in Papua New Guinea. This film was a little brutal at times and unfortunately, demonstrates the heartless soul in some on this earth but a movie definitely worth the time and worth watching! Bougainville Island is a beautiful setting for this film where Hugh Laurie plays a teacher who takes the islands' children on a journey through a novel by Charles Dickens - Great Expectations. Set in a time of great island conflict over an open pit copper mine and the various fighting factions of the government and the island rebels. Beautifully done...well done!

gregking4 A co-production between Australia, New Zealand and New Guinea, Mr Pip is a bittersweet coming-of-age story about the loss of innocence, and also about the power of the imagination and literature to inspire and change a person's life. This is a theme that has driven a number of other films like The Neverending Story, the darker The Reader, and even Freedom Writers. The film is set on Bougainville Island, in the eastern part of Papua New Guinea, in the late 1980s, which was a turbulent and troubled time for the residents. At that time Bougainville was the world's largest producer of copper. But a dispute between the mining companies and PNG rebels resulted in the mines being closed down. Most of the able bodied men and all of the white inhabitants have wisely left the island for the relative safety and stability of Australia. But one man has stayed behind. Tom Watts (played by Hugh Laurie, best known for playing the cynical doctor on popular TV series House) is a former actor who is married to a local woman (Florence Korokoro) and remains in the village. He decides to reopen the local school building which has been closed down. He begins to read Charles Dickens' classic novel Great Expectations to the village children, hoping that the words of one of England's greatest writers will distract them from the horrors surrounding them. His actions touch a chord with an intelligent and curious young girl named Matilda (played by newcomer Xzannajah Matsi). Her father has left for Australia, leaving Matilda in the care of her emotionally fragile, deeply troubled and deeply religious mother. Matilda often indulges in flights of fancy where she imagines herself living in the story itself and carrying on her own romance with Pip (Eka Darville). But the civil war itself is never far away and the presence of soldiers looking for rebels and their supporters brings danger and death to the village. Laurie plays against type here, but he brings a world weary quality and a sense of regret and loss to his performance. His Watts is not a hero in the conventional sense, but in some ways his actions are heroic. The rest of the cast largely comprises of nonprofessionals who deliver realistic and credible performances as the villagers. Also impressive is newcomer Xzannjah, who brings a wonderful sense of innocence and resilience to her performance. The film is based on the novel written by Lloyd Jones, and the material obviously resonated with New Zealand born director Andrew Adamson, who also spent some time in Papua New Guinea while growing up. Mr Pip gives us a glimpse into the culture, spiritual beliefs and politics of this exotic and unfamiliar location, but he doesn't shy away from depicting some of the violence and harrowing reality of life for the villagers. Mr Pip is a labour of love for Adamson, who is better known for his work on more family oriented fare like the first two animated Shrek series and the special effects driven Chronicles Of Narnia. But he handles the material here effectively, and doesn't flinch away from showing some of the darker aspects of life in this deceptively idyllic island location which is being torn apart by civil war. Mr Pip has been beautifully photographed by Australian cinematographer John Toon, who captures the lush forest setting. The film is let down slightly by some pacing problems, some obvious plot holes, and an unsatisfactory ending.