This expensively made film is too long, boring, bloated, self-conscious, unfunny and indulgent. And I am sorry to say I found it quite unrecognisable as a production based on a novel by Charles Dickens.
The book was written in 1849 and yet key characters are played by the following actors:
Fisayo Akinade - Nikki Amuka-Bird - Tuwaine Barrett - Faisal Dacosta - Ranveer Jaiswal - Divian Ladwa - Phaldut Sharma - Peter Singh - Jairaj Varsani - Benedict Wong - Neilesh Ambu - Antoniya Gerimpapazi - Arun Kapur - Lamissah La-Shontae - Kwok Ng and of course, Dev Patel as David Copperfield.
The casting doesn't seem very faithful to the book. In fact, it seems to be an exercise in heavy-handed, woke point scoring. Can an Asian actor play David Copperfield? Only if you accept that Benny Hill can play a Chinese man. And we all know that Benny Hill will never be seen, mentioned or heard of ever again. Why? Because what he did is now deemed TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.
I smell double standards! White man plays black or Asian character = Unacceptable!! Black or Asian man plays white character = Great. Can no one else see the comparison?
Like I say the film is not that great, but what jars most of all is the false, unrealistic, frankly laughable, placing of actors who in no way resemble the characters they are there to portray.
Progress or a return to the 70s with the roles reversed? You decide...
Oh, nearly forgot: The character Mr Micawber is described as "a stoutish, middle-aged person". Here he is portrayed by the tall and wiry Peter Capalbi. Need I say more?
The book was written in 1849 and yet key characters are played by the following actors:
Fisayo Akinade - Nikki Amuka-Bird - Tuwaine Barrett - Faisal Dacosta - Ranveer Jaiswal - Divian Ladwa - Phaldut Sharma - Peter Singh - Jairaj Varsani - Benedict Wong - Neilesh Ambu - Antoniya Gerimpapazi - Arun Kapur - Lamissah La-Shontae - Kwok Ng and of course, Dev Patel as David Copperfield.
The casting doesn't seem very faithful to the book. In fact, it seems to be an exercise in heavy-handed, woke point scoring. Can an Asian actor play David Copperfield? Only if you accept that Benny Hill can play a Chinese man. And we all know that Benny Hill will never be seen, mentioned or heard of ever again. Why? Because what he did is now deemed TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.
I smell double standards! White man plays black or Asian character = Unacceptable!! Black or Asian man plays white character = Great. Can no one else see the comparison?
Like I say the film is not that great, but what jars most of all is the false, unrealistic, frankly laughable, placing of actors who in no way resemble the characters they are there to portray.
Progress or a return to the 70s with the roles reversed? You decide...
Oh, nearly forgot: The character Mr Micawber is described as "a stoutish, middle-aged person". Here he is portrayed by the tall and wiry Peter Capalbi. Need I say more?