When it really comes down to it, I’m a simple woman. It doesn’t take a lot to make me happy. Comfy sweatpants, tea, maybe some carbs, perhaps a Youtube video featuring a cute animal. The things on my “This Sparks Joy” list are not overly complicated. Also on that list? Handsome men in 19th century period clothing. I don’t even really know why, but it just does things for me. So while I absolutely loathed reading A Tale of Two Cities in middle school, I knew that Dev Patel in The Personal History of David Copperfield was going to mean good things for me. Friends and readers, not only was I right, after watching the first trailer, I was VERY right.
Armando Iannucci’s sense of humor is so extremely my shit. The hesitating, awkward shoulder pat when they tell him his mother is dead, the salad dressing. DROLL HUGH LAURIE BEING HIS MOST HUGH LAURIEST! Bust most importantly, Dev Patel looking dashing as all hell in those cravats and jackets. So many outfits to break down.
TRULY A LOOK. In the daydream in which I’m a Victorian lady in distress, probably afflicted with something like “hysterical scurvy due to femaleness,” and I need a gentleman to swoop in and save me, this is the outfit said gentleman is wearing.
This entire movie could just be about how David Copperfield came to own those amazing pants and I would want it to be three and a half hours. So many patterns on such a tall man, and he wears them with aplomb.
The story very well could center on that because I’m going to be honest, I don’t really know a lot about David Copperfield. I’m not a huge fan of novels that were originally published as a serial, because while I can’t fault Chuck for making that paper by drawing it out as much as he could, this book is over 600 pages, and I’m not saying I’ll never read it, but… yes I am. The full original title is actually The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (Which He Never Meant to Publish on Any Account). Good god man, were you paid by the LETTER? But back to what really matters…
The dishevelment of his cravat. I am aquiver. Would that it were disheveled by me.
Right click, save as “victorianmeetcutefantasy”
I guarantee that there are people who started watching this trailer and were quickly confused as to why it’s not about that Vegas magician guy. But I guarantee you that he would not look nearly as good in a waistcoat, and that’s why this David Copperfield gets a movie and that David Copperfield does not.
