The delightful David Copperfield

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So far, my favourite film of 2020 is The Personal History of David Copperfield.
    It's a fantastic, hilarious version of one of a precious book. Charles Dickens - and now Arnando Iannucci - at his finest.
    Dev Patel is enthralling and the marvellous Tilda Swinton dominates the screen. Which is in itself an achievement, given the calibre of the rest of the cast - Hugh Laurie and Peter Capaldi should work together more often.
    But the stunning portrayal of Uriah Heep by Ben Whishaw just demonstrates the skill of Dickens in the first place. He appears to be an insignificant, minor character who turns out to be the villain of the piece. Outstanding work.
    I love seeing previews of films and this was particularly worthwhile, as it was in aid of Children in Need. Dickens would have loved that.

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