Dev Patel stars as the adult David Copperfield, and the film follows the life of David from his earliest and privileged years to his years working literally as a child slave in a bottle factory and the through young adulthood. The film was fun and funny; Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton as his Aunt Trotwood, and Hugh Laurie as Mr. Dick create funny characters. Given that, though, the film for me was just so-so. I was expecting something a bit more realistic that perhaps was a bit more of a creative new retelling that is more consistent with Dickens. What emerges here is something that, during all periods of David’s life, feels as breezy as a Jane Austen production, kind of like Annie without the music. While I did find some of it funny, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped. (2019; 3 Stars)
