Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel impresses greatly in Armando Iannucci’s inspired adaptation of Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield. Co-written by Iannucci (The Death Of Stalin) and long time collaborator Simon Blackwell (The Thick of It, In the Loop, Veep), The Personal History of David Copperfield presents a commendably colour-blind cast list and manages to be both innovative and fresh, which is no mean feat for a tale so ingrained in our collective psyche.

The story follows the trials of young master David Copperfield (played by Ranveer Jaiswal and Jairaj Varsani as a child, and Patel as an adult). Born to the newly widowed Mrs Clara Copperfield (Morfydd Clark) and to the disappointment of his paternal aunt Betsey Trotwood (Tilda Swinton) – who would have preferred a niece – David’s early childhood is full of joyful japes and memories of being surrounded by amiable working class folk.

David’s idillic childhood is soon snuffed out when his mother marries the cruel and overbearing Edward Murdstone (Darren Boyd) who is less than accommodating of David’s peculiar way of looking at the world. Before he knows it, David is shipped off to London by Murdstone to work in a glass factory under unsavoury conditions for someone of his social standing. 

In London, David forms a lasting and genuine friendship with the grifting and eternally impoverished Mr. Micawber (Peter Capaldi in scenery-chewing form). Life takes another turn for the unexpected when the young man is finally reunited with his long lost aunt Betsey who welcomes him to her home with open arms.

Iannucci and Blackwell have given us a gorgeously big-hearted, fun and brilliantly unorthodox interpretation of Dickens’s work. Injecting a decent amount of magic-realist flair and humour, the duo have managed to bring something fresh and new without having to resort to jarringly obvious anachronistic devices beside the film’s inspired diverse casting.

Dev Patel does a great job in depicting the purity of heart of his character all the while maintaining a certain amount gentle mischief about him. For his part, Ben Whishaw is outstanding in the Uriah Heep role, while Hugh Laurie gives an irresistible performance as Mr Dick.

This is a deftly handled, beautifully acted and genuinely heartening interpretation of a much love story. Iannucci has done it again: he has managed to make something so bleak and old-fashioned into something optimistic and new.