ALSO SHOWING
THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD (PG)
★★★★ ★ DAVID COPPERFIELD (Jairaj Varsani) is raised by his mother Clara in a home filled with laughter and love until the arrival of a cruel stepfather.
The new man of the house beats and terrorises David, who is dispatched to London into the care of debt-riddled landlord Mr Micawber (Peter Capaldi).
As David comes of age (now played by Dev Patel, pictured), he aims to become a scholarly man of the world by attending a boarding school run by Mr Creakle (Victor McGuire).
In time, David seeks out his eccentric great-aunt Betsey Trotwood (Tilda Swinton), who lives in perpetual fear of donkeys with kite-flying companion Mr Dick (Hugh Laurie), and is taken under the wing of respected lawyer Mr Wickfield (Benedict Wong).
The Personal History Of David Copperfield is a madcap reinvention of Charles Dickens’ indomitable literary hero, which barrels along at a jaunty pace. Writerdirector Armando Iannucci’s adaptation weaves pithy invented details into the fabric of the book without drawing undue attention to these authorial touches.
A galaxy of stars in the British acting firmament sparkle in small yet perfectly formed roles including a bonkers Swinton.
The setting may be pungently Victorian but the tone is unmistakably modern from the hero’s knowing narration to nudge-nudge wink-wink flashes of directorial flare that bookmark each chapter of David’s rites of passage.
■ Available to download/stream from June 13 and on DVD from June 15
GREED (15) ★★★ ★★ SIR RICHARD MCCREADIE (Steve Coogan, pictured) is variously described as “the king of the high street” and
“the unacceptable face of capitalism”. He is a sharpsuited wheeler dealer, who exploited cheap labour in 1980s Sri Lanka to lay the foundations of a fashion empire.
To repair his tattered reputation, Sir Richard hires party planner Melanie (Sarah Solemani) to orchestrate a lavish 60th birthday bash on the island of Mykonos themed around Oscar-winning film Gladiator.
Sir Richard’s tax-dodging, Monaco-based ex-wife Samantha (Isla Fisher), disgruntled son Finn (Asa Butterfield) and viperous mother Margaret (Shirley Henderson) are among friends and family attending.
Mild-mannered writer Nick (David Mitchell) documents the festivities for an official biography and he bears witness to tantrums and simmering Oedipal rage.
Greed is a glossy satire of bloated, bullying haves and much-abused havenots, which bruises the pampered and preened surfaces of its intended targets. Coogan chews scenery with a maniacal glint in his eye as the arrogant billionaire.
Writer-director Michael Winterbottom sharpens his claws to scratch out the eyes of modern-day capitalism. He doesn’t always draw blood despite a consciencepricking final act that bombards us with statistics about the exploitation of workers in developing countries.
■ Available to download/stream from June 15 and on DVD from June 29