Film Number 13
Stars: 4
I got to see a film before lockdown. I take great pride in this, considering my local Hoyts was only open a week. Other, smaller cinemas in both country and city were open the week before, but the cinemas staged a staggered opening, with cinemas in the city opening last. The last film I was was at the start of March. It's been a long time between drinks.
It felt safe. Nobody was around. You had to scan yourself in and stay socially distanced from other patrons - easy when there were only four others in the session. And it was just lovely to bite into a choctop and be taken somewhere else for two hours.
Helping matters, I went and saw a little known English film, The Personal History of David Copperfield. English films are my jam. This was no different.
The film, based on the Dickens novel, this is the third adaptation of the book. Quite famously, Daniel Radcliffe (of Harry Potter fame) got his start in the last adaptation of the book.
This is a very fresh, very modern, very inclusive take on the old story.
David, born into a comfortable family, has his world shaken up when his widowed mother remarries a right arsehole. David is effectively banished to his step-father's factory where he works like a slave until adulthood, when he is cast out of the job on the death of this mother.
From there his fortunes go up and down, always having friends. Peggotty, his old maid and her family provide him love and stablilty. The Micawbers, a bunch or rag-tag n'er-do-wells take him in and they look after each other. His aunt, Betsey Trotwood takes him in when he's older, and David becomes her saviour.
This is a riches to rags to riches tale as this modern telling shows the highs and lows of David's life, all the time, remaining plucky and never being defeated by his circumstances.
Dev Patel is great as David. He's got the right balance of pluck and gormlessness to pull this off. The English cast bring in some of the big guns. Tilda Swinton as Lady Trotwood, Peter Capaldi as Micawber the ratbag. Hugh Laurie had a great time playing Mr Dick, Lady Trotwood's lodger. Ben Wishaw stole the show as a wonderfully obsequious Uriah Heep. A name to watch is Aneurin Barnard, who was great as David's school friend, Steerforth.
What I liked about this film was the diverse cast who came from every ethnic group under the sun. Although part of me was asking how some characters could be the offspring other actors, after a few minutes, the thought was dropped and the performances took over. It was great to see a film that wasn't whitewashed.
This was an enjoyable film. Something to take your mother too. Dickens is timeless.
And it filled my need to see an English film. I'm glad I got this in.
Unfortunately, the cinemas close here in an hour for a minimum of another six weeks. It's back to Netflix, Stan and I might get a Disney trial subscription so I can work through the Marvel films again - I have a bit of a hankering for Guardians of the Galaxy.
Today's Song:
Stars: 4
I got to see a film before lockdown. I take great pride in this, considering my local Hoyts was only open a week. Other, smaller cinemas in both country and city were open the week before, but the cinemas staged a staggered opening, with cinemas in the city opening last. The last film I was was at the start of March. It's been a long time between drinks.
It felt safe. Nobody was around. You had to scan yourself in and stay socially distanced from other patrons - easy when there were only four others in the session. And it was just lovely to bite into a choctop and be taken somewhere else for two hours.
Helping matters, I went and saw a little known English film, The Personal History of David Copperfield. English films are my jam. This was no different.
The film, based on the Dickens novel, this is the third adaptation of the book. Quite famously, Daniel Radcliffe (of Harry Potter fame) got his start in the last adaptation of the book.
This is a very fresh, very modern, very inclusive take on the old story.
David, born into a comfortable family, has his world shaken up when his widowed mother remarries a right arsehole. David is effectively banished to his step-father's factory where he works like a slave until adulthood, when he is cast out of the job on the death of this mother.
From there his fortunes go up and down, always having friends. Peggotty, his old maid and her family provide him love and stablilty. The Micawbers, a bunch or rag-tag n'er-do-wells take him in and they look after each other. His aunt, Betsey Trotwood takes him in when he's older, and David becomes her saviour.
This is a riches to rags to riches tale as this modern telling shows the highs and lows of David's life, all the time, remaining plucky and never being defeated by his circumstances.
Dev Patel is great as David. He's got the right balance of pluck and gormlessness to pull this off. The English cast bring in some of the big guns. Tilda Swinton as Lady Trotwood, Peter Capaldi as Micawber the ratbag. Hugh Laurie had a great time playing Mr Dick, Lady Trotwood's lodger. Ben Wishaw stole the show as a wonderfully obsequious Uriah Heep. A name to watch is Aneurin Barnard, who was great as David's school friend, Steerforth.
What I liked about this film was the diverse cast who came from every ethnic group under the sun. Although part of me was asking how some characters could be the offspring other actors, after a few minutes, the thought was dropped and the performances took over. It was great to see a film that wasn't whitewashed.
This was an enjoyable film. Something to take your mother too. Dickens is timeless.
And it filled my need to see an English film. I'm glad I got this in.
Unfortunately, the cinemas close here in an hour for a minimum of another six weeks. It's back to Netflix, Stan and I might get a Disney trial subscription so I can work through the Marvel films again - I have a bit of a hankering for Guardians of the Galaxy.
Today's Song:
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