I have to admit; I’ve never read a single Charles Dickens book. Other than knowing David Copperfield was one of his books, I didn’t really know anything about this story. But, I do like Dev Patel and tend to watch almost all of his movies. So when I saw the trailer for this one, I immediately thought this look like it would be fun… And it was.
My immediate first impression after the first few minutes was that this isn’t a “normal” story. Obviously, the diverse casting probably wasn’t how Dickens imagined, however, it was a nice added feature. And, although it seemed like David’s life wasn’t the easiest in the world, it still came across as though he, his friends & family were enjoying the life they lived and what they had. Even more likable, is how in the end, when one prevailed so did the others.
As far as performances go, seeing Dev and Tilda Swinton, playing roles with characteristics that are not what I’m used to from them was nice. That can also be said for the rest of the cast too. The odd but fun personalities of everyone is probably what really sold me.
The only issue I had with this one, is how fast they spoke from time to time. I had to hit rewind a few times cause I didn’t catch what they said. And it didn’t help that some of their English wording isn’t something I could comprehend on a first listen. I guess there are worse problems to have when watching a film.
The Personal History of David Copperfield, opens IN THEATERS valley wide this weekend.