The Old Curiosity Shop (2007) (TV)

Director:

Brian Percival

Writers:

Martyn Hesford (screenplay)
Charles Dickens (novel)

Release Date:

26 December 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A kindly shop owner whose overwhelming gambling debts allow a greedy landlord to seize his shop of dusty treasures. Evicted and with no way to pay his debts, he and his granddaughter flee.

Plot Keywords:

Grandfather | Debt | Gambling | Landlord | Waxworks

Cast

Derek Jacobi	...	Grandfather
Toby Jones	...	Daniel Quilp
Sophie Vavasseur	...	Nell Trent
Gina McKee	...	Sally Brass
Adam Godley	...	Samson Brass
Anna Madeley	...	Betsy Quilp
Adrian Rawlins	...	Jacob
Geoff Breton	...	Dick Swiveller
Bryan Dick	...	Freddie Trent
Zoë Wanamaker	...	Mrs. Jarley
Martin Freeman	...	Mr. Codlin
Steve Pemberton	...	Mr. Short
George MacKay	...	Kit
Josie Lawrence	...	Mrs. Jiniwin
Bradley Walsh	...	Mr. Liggers
Charlene McKenna	...	The Marchioness
Jonathan Coy	...	Rev. Pratchett
Kelly Campbell	...	Mrs. Nubbles
Michael Webber	...	Innkeeper
Elizabeth Bennett	...	Mrs. George
Gerry O'Brien	...	Constable
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ciaran Fagan
Andrew Constantini	...	Country man (uncredited)
Glenn Gannon	...	Mob Leader (uncredited)

Directed by
Brian Percival

Writing credits
Martyn Hesford		(screenplay)
Charles Dickens		(novel)

Produced by
Andrew Benson	....	producer
Noëlette Buckley	....	line producer
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer
Andrew Lowe	....	executive producer
Gareth Neame	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Stephen McKeon

Cinematography by
Peter Greenhalgh		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Tony Cranstoun

Casting by
Susie Parriss

Production Design by
Michael Pickwoad

Art Direction by
Michael Higgins

Costume Design by
Lorna Marie Mugan

Makeup Department
Eileen Buggy	....	hair designer
Morna Ferguson	....	makeup designer
Anna Gronerus	....	assistant hair stylist
Anna Gronerus	....	assistant makeup artist
Niamh O'Loan	....	assistant hair stylist
Niamh O'Loan	....	assistant makeup artist
Tina Phelan	....	assistant makeup artist: dailies (uncredited)

Production Management
Clare Kavanagh	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Keith Barry	....	third assistant director
Mary Gough	....	second assistant director
Luke Johnston	....	first assistant director
Cathriona Glynn	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ignacio Barbe	....	dressing props
Gareth Byrne	....	dressing props
Pat Byrne	....	dressing props
Tamara Conboy	....	stand-by art director
Marc Dowds	....	dressing props (as Mark Dowds)
Tom Dowling	....	construction manager
Dave Flanagan	....	dressing props
Ronan Kennedy	....	stand-by props
Eoin Lewis	....	dressing props
Bernard Lyster	....	dressing props
Emer MacAvin	....	production buyer
Nuala McKernan	....	property master
Anthony Nugent	....	stand-by props
Marion Picard	....	assistant buyer (uncredited)
John Snee	....	dressing props (uncredited)
Lucy van Lonkhuyzen	....	assistant art director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mark Barry	....	boom operator
Brendan Deasy	....	sound recordist
John Fitzgerald	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sarah Gaines	....	dubbing editor
Fionn Higgins	....	dubbing editor (as Fionán Higgins)
Jon Stevenson	....	sound supervisor
Peter Blayney	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Caoimhe Doyle	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Nick Foley	....	adr recordist (uncredited)
Brendan Geaney	....	foley editor (uncredited)
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Rachael Tate	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Paul Byrne	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Donal O'Farrell	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Garret Baldwin	....	gaffer (as Garrett Baldwin)
John Dunne	....	grip
Colm Hogan	....	still photographer
Anthony Meade	....	clapper loader
Ivan Meagher	....	focus puller
Steve Murray	....	camera operator
Jason Bulley	....	underwater cameraman (uncredited)
Graeme Haughton	....	electrician (uncredited)
Rory O'Riordan	....	camera trainee (uncredited)

Animation Department
Gavin Casey	....	motion designer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anne Cartwright	....	wardrobe assistant (as Annie Cartwright)
Patch Corcoran	....	wardrobe assistant
Sue Wain	....	wardrobe supervisor
Louise Kennedy	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)
Julia Knight	....	costume assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Gary Curran	....	colorist
Martin Fanning	....	assistant editor
Warren Dowling	....	on-line editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Dan Breen	....	transportation captain (as Dan Breen Snr.)

Other crew
Janine Bennett	....	script editor
Aliboo Bradbury	....	head of business
Yvonne Burke	....	production coordinator
Peter Conway	....	location manager
Rory Mac Dermott	....	production accountant (as Rory MacDermott)
Fionnuala Dorney	....	assistant accountant
Grainne Dunne	....	assistant coordinator (as Gráinne Dunne)
Jeanette McGrath	....	script supervisor
Laura Treacy	....	extras coordinator
Grant Bobbett	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)
Mel Churcher	....	dialogue coach: adr (uncredited)
Eamonn Cleary	....	location assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Carnival Films (co-production)
• WGBH (co-production) (as WGBH BOSTON)
• Ingenious Broadcasting (co-production)
• Government of Ireland, The (produced with the support of investment incentives for the Irish film industry provided by)
• Irish Film Board (funding)

Distributors

• Independent Television (ITV) (2007) (UK) (TV)
• Southern Star (2007) (worldwide) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Team FX (special effects)

Other Companies

• Bórd Scannán na hÉireann  with the participation of (as Bord Scannán na hÉireann/Irish Film Board)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Ireland | UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Carnival Films

Movie Connections:

Version of The Old Curiosity Shop (1934)

A Worthy Adaptation

I like this recent, surprisingly short (given the length of the novel) adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop. There are a fair number of negative reviews and comments here and I really can't argue with them. Film is so much a matter of taste. I caught this one at the right time. It drew me in.

What impressed me most perhaps was less the story itself than the film's evocation of early 19th century London. Director Brian Percival and his associates deserve a lot of praise for the ambiance; and the actors and their costumes were well matched. This is (for me) a rare occasion as one of the reasons I seldom watch recent adaptations of classic fiction is that everything looks too modern; the actors don't look at ease in the setting; and there's always something contemporary feeling threatening to take the movie over entirely. I didn't get this here.

In terms of style and content this version of The Old Curiosity Shop evoked memories of the series of low budget horror films Val Lewton produced in Hollywood back some seventy years ago. It's not a horror picture, but what happens to the children in the story is often horrifying; and the tone is nearly seductively dark, with hints of all manner of perversion lurking on the sidelines. At its best the film plays like a first rate B movie. I mean that as a compliment. It's very good, not great, but then I don't sense that it was aiming that high.

Oops! The story. It's awfully complicated and would take nine more paragraphs to properly summarize. It's basically about how greed and poverty destroyed the innocence of children in the London of Dickens' era; and how good men doing bad things can do as much harm as bad men doing same. In other words, to paraphrase a famous thinker, all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing about it. Worse yet, if good men aren't pro-active in their virtue, vigilant about it, as the grandfather in this story is not, the terms of their lives shall be dictated by men up to no good. This is a lesson worth learning.