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Good concept, poorly executed.

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

It always amazes me when I am carried away by a film whose lead actor is unheard of, or has little to no previous acting credits. Xzannjah Matsi is such an actress, not because she is Hollywood polished, because she is not, but because she is so natural and believable. She carries the innocent heart of a student who believes in her mentor, and of a young girl whose been confronted with some of life's harsh realities for the first time. Through her character portrayal one can easily remember the precise moment when looking at life through the protective fog of childhood lifts. Truly this film was a testament to the sad events it was based upon, to the spirit of the island people, and to the pure relationship between a beloved teacher and student. Excellent job also to Hugh Laurie and to the woman who portrays her mother Healesville Joel.

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.

The film centres on a young girl, Matilda, who lives with her mom in a Bougainville village in Papua New Guinea. During a time of civil war, all the whites of the village have left, with one, Mr Watts, remaining on the island with his native wife. Mr Watts is brought to the local school in an attempt to teach the children of the village. It is here that the children are introduced to 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens, and find a friend in the central character, Pip. Filmed on location in Papua New Guinea, the director has accurately captured village life throughout the film with colourful scenes and beautiful cinematography, as well as a script that reflects characteristics of New Guinean language and humour. Xzannjah Matsi and Healesville Joel do a wonderful job in bringing their characters of Matilda and Dolores to life with great conviction. Hugh Laurie also does a good job portraying the slightly sad and slightly mysterious Mr Watts who lives on the island with his Bougainvillean wife Grace. Set during a dark time in Papua New Guinean history, some scenes might disturb some viewers, however the violence that is present in the story is approached tactfully in which it is suggestive and the viewer is spared too many visual details.Overall, Mr Pip is an exceptional film which brings justice to the original novel. Stunningly filmed, well written, entertaining and endearing, Mr Pip is a truly memorable film and great achievement in Australasian cinema.

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.