An avid Dickens fan, Armando Iannucci (the award-winning writer/director of
The Thick of It, In the Loop, Veep and The Death of Stalin) adapts here,
alongside frequent collaborator Simon Blackwell, employing his comedic
mastery and vivid characterizations to bring to life one of Dickens’ most
cherished characters in THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD. From
birth to infancy, from adolescence to adulthood, the good-hearted David
Copperfield is surrounded by kindness, wickedness, poverty and wealth, as
he meets an array of remarkable characters in Victorian England. As David
sets out to be a writer, in his quest for family, friendship, romance and
status, the story of his life is the most seductive tale of all. The film
stars Dev Patel in the title role alongside a wealth of British talent
including Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie, Peter Capaldi, Ben Whishaw and Paul
Whitehouse.
Review
Your enjoyment of “The Personal History Of David Copperfield” will more
than likely be based on your like of Charles Dickens because, if like me
you have no interest in his books – or the movies they spawned – director
Armando Iannucci’s movies going to be a long hard watch for you.
Peppered with various characters from his famous books with in-jokes and
references to Dickens work Iannucci’s relies on his audience having some
background knowledge of the famous author in order for them to be fully
immersed in his story.
“The Personal History Of David Copperfield” is without doubt an acquired
taste and if you’re a fan of Dickens, with its multitude of nods to his
work, then there’s a lot for you to enjoy in Iannucci’s movie. On the plus
side the cast are all excellent and the movie looks fantastic, however if
like me the thought of watching “Little Dorrit”, or anything else from
Charles Dickens, brings you out in a cold sweat then “The Personal History
Of David Copperfield” might not be for you.
