The story of David Copperfield has been adapted so many times for both the big screen and the small screen.
You have to question whether there is any fresh approach left.
Director Armando Iannucci finds the answer in colour blind casting and emphasizing a more comic absurd approach to Dickens novel.
David Copperfield (Dev Patel) recounts his story to a live audience in the style of Dickens with his reading tours.
A young David Copperfield had a happy existence with his mother Clara (Morfydd Clark) and faithful servant Peggotty (Daisy May Cooper.)
Misery entered his life when his mother married Edward Murdstone (Darren Boyd) and then his sister moved in to the family home.
David was sent to work in a bottling factory. His mother endured hardship with both the Murdstones.
In this episodic movie, David encounters the permanently impecunious Mr Micawber (Peter Capaldi.) He spends time with eccentric Aunt Betsey (Tilda Swinton) as well as the daffy Mr Dick (Hugh Laurie.)
David befriends Steerforth (Aneurin Barnard) who brings disgrace as as aristocratic seducer.
Then there is the odious social climber Uriah Heep (Ben Whishaw) who is responsible for several misfortunes.
The film is compressed, it is also made bright and adventurous. Almost as if the Monty Python team had given the script a once over.
It does suffer with several characters just underplaying their parts. Mr Micawber was a little too subdued.
The tone was a little uneven. This is Dickens so there has to be some tragedy and hardship.
You have to question whether there is any fresh approach left.
Director Armando Iannucci finds the answer in colour blind casting and emphasizing a more comic absurd approach to Dickens novel.
David Copperfield (Dev Patel) recounts his story to a live audience in the style of Dickens with his reading tours.
A young David Copperfield had a happy existence with his mother Clara (Morfydd Clark) and faithful servant Peggotty (Daisy May Cooper.)
Misery entered his life when his mother married Edward Murdstone (Darren Boyd) and then his sister moved in to the family home.
David was sent to work in a bottling factory. His mother endured hardship with both the Murdstones.
In this episodic movie, David encounters the permanently impecunious Mr Micawber (Peter Capaldi.) He spends time with eccentric Aunt Betsey (Tilda Swinton) as well as the daffy Mr Dick (Hugh Laurie.)
David befriends Steerforth (Aneurin Barnard) who brings disgrace as as aristocratic seducer.
Then there is the odious social climber Uriah Heep (Ben Whishaw) who is responsible for several misfortunes.
The film is compressed, it is also made bright and adventurous. Almost as if the Monty Python team had given the script a once over.
It does suffer with several characters just underplaying their parts. Mr Micawber was a little too subdued.
The tone was a little uneven. This is Dickens so there has to be some tragedy and hardship.