The Personal History of David Copperfield

by Kathia Woods

The Personal History of David Copperfield is a movie based on the classic tale by Charles Dickens. In Armando Iannucci’s Copperfield, we still are in the Victorian era; however, the scenery specifically the cast is more contemporary. Armando had one actor in mind to play Copperfield, and that was Dev Patel. Patel coming hot off the heels of Lion was excited to give this iconic role his interpretation.

One must approach this version with an open mind. It’s not as stoic as the original tale; this version is more whimsical. Young Copperfield is caught between two worlds, the world he was born into and the world he was tossed into. I had no issue with the pace and the nontraditional approach. David Copperfield has been read multiple times, and there are at least 20 different versions on film and TV; however, Armando managed to bring something new to this story. He was able to blend traditional and contemporary. He made precise choices from casting to cinematography to costuming, all of it adding to the adventure that is The Personal History of David Copperfield. This version may be more slapstick at times than Victorian, but that’s what makes this movie so much fun.

Much of the fun is provided by the film’s leading man Dev Patel. The Personal History of David Copperfield allowed him to play a character that wasn’t of Indian or Pakistani background; this is important. Patel is a great actor and deserves to portray characters that aren’t tied to his ethnicity. He is charming and vulnerable in this performance. We know the outcome of this story; however, we still find ourselves rooting for Copperfield, and that’s due to Patel.

Tilda Swinton is outstanding as Copperfield’s aunt, Betsy Trotwood. She is unapologetically proud of coming from wealth and lacks total self-aware. Hugh Laurie and Ben Wishaw are equally fun as Mr. Dick and Uriah Heep.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Armando’s casting approach. He was asked here at TIFF why he chose to go with a diverse cast. He felt that the question was insulting, and this reviewer agrees. In an industry that likes to throw around the word Diversity, it’s nice to see someone put it into action. Armando wanted to cast the best actors regardless of race, creed, etc.

It’s essential that we acknowledge this because the audience isn’t torn from the story due to actors of color portraying these iconic characters. If anything, it may attract a larger audience that usually wouldn’t see a Dickens Film.

Scale: I give this movie a 7.5

Diversity a 9 for casting the best actors regardless of race.