David Copperfield is born into a household beset with misfortune. Owing to a cruel stepfather, he is made to travel to London to work in a merciless bottle factory, finding lodgings with the shifty Mr Micawber (Peter Capaldi). David finds himself passed from household to household, gradually gaining in charm, confidence and experience.
Dickens literature is magical because of his eye for character. Even in his bleakest tales he would find humanity and relatable, timeless characters. The adaptations of many of the characters in this film may well prove to be definitive. Every role is so superbly filled that it is difficult to draw out highlights. Dev Patel as Copperfield is charming and exuberant and very, very funny. Peter Capaldi as the comic though tragic Micawber, manages pathos and buffoonery joyously. Hugh Laurie and Tilda Swinton as Mr Dick and Betsey Trotwood are so affectionately drawn it’s an absolute delight to spend time with them. Ben Whishaw brings the sinister Uriah Heep to comic life with great relish. Other highlights include Benedict Wong, Paul Whitehouse and Rosalind Eleazar. The cast are the heart of this film and it’s a beautiful and generous one.
This is a very different style of comedy for Ianucci. Though the film retains the political criticisms of his source material which Ianucci always excels at, he maintains a much more gentle, character driven comedy than his other projects. Humour comes from the stubbornness, eccentricity and foolishness of the cast. These characters all ring true and form part of a beautiful little world that might be cruel but is full of warmth.
Ianucci wanted to make a film about modern Britain with his adaptation of the great Victorian Novel. Though it’s dispiriting how little has changed in terms of societies great ills, it is a plea to look at modern Britain as a difficult but beautiful place. By filling his ample cast with minority actors, all of whom fit completely naturally into his narrative and his world, he urges us to realise the beauty of modern diverse Britain. This is a divine adaptation of a quintessentially British Classic Novel.
Five Stars