The Personal History of David Copperfield

The Personal History of David Copperfield.

You feel sure that had Charles Dickens still been alive then he may well have been a multi- billionaire by now and probably more famous than he was when he passed away in 1870. Then the quill and pen were his only means of self expression, whole chapters neatly scribbled away in the dim light of a flickering candle and his only distraction  a night at the local theatre or ironically a well bound leather book by one of his contemporaries. He would have retired to bed with a hot cup of cocoa and another fertile collection of thoughts and images from the mind of a literary genius.

Little could he have imagined that at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century his name and reputation would still be preserved and one of his typically delightful novels would be once again transferred so easily to the movie silver screen. You wonder what Dickens would have made of Hollywood, the studio system, the wildly inflated egos, the lavish film premieres, the red carpets, the glittering Oscar and Emmy awards ceremonies, the torturous private lives, the prima donnas and the big bucks.

And then another Dickens adaptation makes its way onto the cinema screens and all of your fond imaginings are once again brought to vivid life. Throughout the ages we've been bombarded with TV adaptations, much acclaimed and loved musicals and a whole host of varied interpretations of his vast output. It is perhaps a testament to his greatness that Dickens is still regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time, a novelist who observed life in its all shades and nuances, a man with the most remarkable imagination and almost certainly the most perceptive social commentator of any era.

In he Personal History of David Copperfield, we are taken on a journey as seen through the eyes of a man who witnessed both the poverty and wealth of a time and place when nothing else seemed to matter and laughter had to be the best medicine. Copperfield was very much a man for all seasons, a Victorian man about town who embraced all aspects of his social status and showed just how adaptable he could be when the chips were down.

We follow The Personal History of David Copperfield with a simple amusement and a jolly good laugh at the eccentricities and gentle witticisms that seemed to light up most of Dickens novels. Copperfield is a smart gentleman of honour, well dressed and invariably equipped with a humorous turn of phrase. He invites himself almost enchantingly into the company of the well to do and then joins in with the light hearted banter of the working classes as if he were somehow ideally suited to the lifestyle.

At the beginning of David Copperfield we are led into a world that is more or less an autobiographical account of Dickens early years. With his father John imprisoned in a debtors jail, a young Dickens is forced to make a living in a bottling and blacking factory. Here we see David Copperfield guided around the hard, gruelling environment of a workplace where a thousand bottles would be hammered, bashed and pushed around a conveyor belt. Jairat Varsani was a young David Copperfield, shy and nervous but superb nonetheless. Dickens is of course galvanised into action when he realises that the harsh realities of Victorian society have left him with little alternative but to leave novel writing to a later date.

Now the wonderful Dev Patel as David Copperfield, the busybody Bronagh Gallagher as Mrs Micawber, the equally as charmingly downtrodden Nikki Amuka Bird as Mrs Steerforth and Darren Boyd as the prim, proper and puritanical Edward Murdstone are marvellously rounded and brilliantly illustrated characters who never fail to endear and enchant with their lightning quick wit.

Then we are introduced to the magnificently versatile Tilda Swinton, an actress of supreme accomplishment and verve, perfectly snobbish and condescending as Betsey Trotwood. Swinton is the comical, extremely likeable Trotwood, full of airs and graces,  a woman with ideas way above her station.

And then there were the engagingly whimsical characters such as Mrs Gummidge played by Rosalen Lineman, the hard working butcher as performed by Phalput Sharma and the boatman aka Andy McSorley who gets into all kind of naval trouble in one of the film's more bizarre scenes. Daniel Fearn is a materialistic and money grabbing pawnbroker and finally there is the one man who seemed to capture the very essence of The Personal History of David Copperfield.

Peter Capaldi, recently of Paddington and Doctor Who fame, is quite the most resplendent and fabulous Mr Micawber. Wearing a coat of many colours and threadbare patches, Mr Micawber is funny, silly, dotty but always debonair. He carries a kite with him for all occasions with strange notes scattered all over the kite. His unforgettable kite flying moment, with the always calmly consummate Hugh Laurie as Mr Dick, is physical comedy at its best.

So go on treat yourself to another Dickens blockbuster.  The literary craftsman whose global influence now straddles many a generation, has done it again in the multi layered film industry. If only the man who spun the most glorious of yarns could see what the class of 2020 has done to just one of his artworks then you suspect he would have been enormously flattered. How the man would have loved a good, old fashioned carton of popcorn. What a feast for the eyes!