Anna Maxwell Martin‘s “hilarious” period drama The Personal History of David Copperfield is on TV tonight.
Directed by Armando Iannucci, who co-wrote the script with Simon Blackwell, the movie stars Dev Patel as the titular character from Charles Dickens’ famous novel.
Originally released in 2019, The Personal History of David Copperfield will air on Film4 tonight at 6.40pm.
Should you miss it on TV, you can rent or buy the film through several digital retailers in the UK, including Prime Video and Sky Store among others.
The film boasts a star-studded cast including Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi, Rings of Power star Morfydd Clark, House’s Hugh Laurie, Black Doves’ Ben Whishaw, and Tilda Swinton.
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With a critic rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes from 249 reviews, David Copperfield was described as a “breezy, brilliant treat” by Empire in their four-star review.
A similarly enthusiastic review published by The Guardian at the time of the film’s release said: “It’s a story that remains as witty and resilient as its main character and its charms, like David’s, remain impossible to resist.”
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Related: Anna Maxwell Martin’s BBC murder-mystery thriller that “will have you hooked” is now on Netflix
The Hollywood Reporter called the period drama “a fast-moving yarn, sometimes hilarious and always entertaining”, while The New York Post said: “Every cast member is hilarious. Dickens will be LOL’ing in his grave.”
Earlier this year, Patel starred in Sundance horror period drama Rabbit Trap.
Set in 1973, the movie from writer-director Bryn Chainey sees a married couple, played by Patel and Rosy McEwen, experiencing supernatural occurrences after they relocate to an isolated cabin in Wales.
During the recording of their new album, they accidentally disturb a Tylwyth Teg fairy ring and are haunted by a strange child with ill intentions.
The Personal History of David Copperfield airs on Film4 at 6.40pm on Wednesday, 13 August. The film is available to rent or purchase through several digital retailers.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).