The Personal History of David Copperfield

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: August 28, 2020

4.9	USER SCORE Mixed or average reviews based on 60 Ratings

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MarkHReviewsAug 31, 2020

There’s a lot to appreciate about Director Armando Iannucci’s take on the most beloved novel in the Dickens canon. That he’s able to pare a sprawling novel (it clocks in at over 600 pages) down to a manageable two-hour film is no small feat.There’s a lot to appreciate about Director Armando Iannucci’s take on the most beloved novel in the Dickens canon. That he’s able to pare a sprawling novel (it clocks in at over 600 pages) down to a manageable two-hour film is no small feat. That he’s able to create much more than another moldy, moth-eaten 19th century period piece is equally impressive. In short, there’s a lot to admire about this effort.

Iannucci’s script (co-written with Simon Blackwell) dutifully traces Copperfield’s birth into a well-to-do family, his eventual banishment to boarding school and a bottling factory and his resurrection from those wretched circumstances. The script is particularly notable because of its use of two devices: a scene of Copperfield the author literally writing out characters to explain their absence from story line and Copperfield’s obsessive note-taking of interesting phrases as a way of economically highlighting Dickens’ flare for description.

Another element worthy of note is Iannucci’s jarringly color-blind casting. As the protagonist, Indian actor Dev Patel (who came to prominence in 2008’s “Slumdog Millionaire”) is apparently the product of two extremely white parents. There are other, similar casting choices that collectively give the impression that the moviegoer may have walked into the sequel for “Hamilton.”

The cast is an embarrassment of riches. Of particular note are Peter Capaldi (Mr. Micawber), Ben Whishaw (excellent in “A Very English Scandal”) as the obsequious, hiss-inducing Uriah Heep and Tilda Swinton (“Snowpiercer,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel”) typically eccentric as Copperfield’s aunt Betsey Trotwood. Hugh Laurie (TV’s “House”) steals the show as Trotwood’s boarder, Mr. Dick, who believes that his mind has been taken over by the thoughts of Charles I, beginning at the time the monarch’s beheading.

The writing is quick, crackling, sometimes sly. A couple of samples: After being asked if he is homeless, Mr. Micawber replies, “We do primarily exist al fresco.” Frustrated by Mr. Dick’s preoccupation with Charles I, Betsy Trotwood implores: “Let’s leave Charles’s head on one side, Mr. Dick.” To which Dick responds, “Pick it up later. Understood.”

In his career (creator of TV’s “Veep,” the excellent 2017 film “The Death of Stalin”), Iannucci has used slapstick and farce to skewer individuals and groups (politicians, the concept of Communism). He deploys the same skills here to address the cruelty and indifference of an intractable class system in England during the mid-1800s. But the use of farce comes at a price. This pervasive sense of the absurd keeps the moviegoer from investing fully in the characters. This pattern also dampens the emotional impact of key events, such as Copperfield’s own lack of empathy when he first ascends the social ladder. Because of the film’s tone, its characters remain distant, emotionally remote.

In my all-time favorite movie, “Inherit the Wind,” Gene Kelly’s character says that it’s the role of the newspaper to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Here, Iannucci seems to be animated by the same goals. In this case, unfortunately, he goes one out of two.… Expand

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tibzoidDec 27, 2020

Overly mannered and self-aware. Some clever staging early on but as the mugging to the camera builds, so does the viewer’s annoyance.

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theredskySep 7, 2020

The Personal History of David Copperfield: A film that was ultimately too boring at points for me to care about the characters. All the performances here are good but I really enjoyed the performances from Peter Capaldi and Tilda Swinton.The Personal History of David Copperfield: A film that was ultimately too boring at points for me to care about the characters. All the performances here are good but I really enjoyed the performances from Peter Capaldi and Tilda Swinton. Maybe I’m biased because I love them both but their presence on screen always brought a smile to my face. Other than them, I was really disinterested in everybody else including the main character. I’ve only seen one of this Director’s other films and he made the characters in the that film (The Death of Stalin) much more interesting so I don’t know what happened here. Maybe this Dickens story just isn’t interesting enough for the big screen. That’s not to say there weren’t other elements I enjoyed though. I thought the production design, costumes, and cinematography were all excellent and the writing wasn’t half bad. That’s what I will remember this film. Not the story. The score was fine but it felt too over dramatic at points. Check this film out if you like the original story or this Director (Armando Iannucci) or actors.… Expand

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CarlElmoreNov 24, 2022

The pacing is weird and the story is somewhat dull but the performances especially from Peter Capaldi are really good.

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