MOVIE: The Personal History of David Copperfield 

WHAT happens when you combine the genius of Charles Dickens, Armando Iannucci, and an inspired casting director? You get the genius that is: ‘The Personal History of David Copperfield’.

Copperfield, according to Dickens, was his favourite character and novel, and the film, like the book, tells the story of David’s life as a writer and the many adventures he experiences. 

Written and directed by the always witty Iannucci (‘The Death of Stalin’, ‘Alan Partridge’), this version obviously focuses more on the laughs, but manages to tick every other cinematic box as well. 

Casting directors are rarely written about in movie reviews, but in this case, special mention must go to Sarah Crowe, who did an amazing job. 

The entire acting team from Dev Patel to Tilda Swinton, Peter Capaldi to Hugh Laurie, give such inspired performances that they lift the story to new heights. The script is so watertight that it’s hard to find fault, and the ending even manages to deliver a heartwarming conclusion. We award this hugely enjoyable movie a review score of five faultless stars.  

We move from the sometimes manic to the absolute bonkers with two more films that are in equal measure crazy and lacking in coherence. 

‘The Lighthouse’ is an indie offering shot in black and white that looks great, has top class performances, but ultimately goes nowhere. 

It stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as two lighthouse keepers on a remote island. Not a lot happens, but the acting and cinematography may be enough to keep you interested. 

‘The Man Who Killed Don Quixote’ is a film from ex-Monty Python member and acclaimed director, Terry Gilliam (‘Brazil’). 

Gilliam is known for producing off the wall content, and so his wish to tackle the famous Cervantes story about a man from La Mancha who loses his mind and thinks he’s a knight, seems like an obvious match. 

And while the performances from Adam Driver (yes, him again) and Jonathan Pryce are top drawer, the film ultimately descends into confusing and muddled territory. Fans of Gilliam’s unique take on the world should be suitably entertained.

Paul O'Rourke