The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020), directed by Armando Iannuci

It was interesting to find a number of people thought this film was about the American illusionist of the same name. This may be a sign that although many may know of author Charles Dickens they are not so familiar with his actual books.
It has been a while since the last BBC adaptation of one of his classic tales, so it is probably timely to see this rather different interpretation for the big screen.
The totally colour blind casting seems odd at first, only because of the 19th century England setting, but as the story is played almost more as fantasy than history it really doesn’t matter that aristocratic black women have white children. As the title says, it is a personal history and in these times the effect is kind of nice.
The production design is sublime and the costumes gorgeous, giving the film a sumptuous look and feel.
Despite its fantastical elements, the film makes some pointed jabs, true to Dickens, about class, snobbery, wage theft and child labour. So there is a little social history included.
Dev Patel does a great job of portraying the ups and downs of David Copperfield, a man of many nicknames who finally claims his true identity when he makes his own place in the world.
A wonderful supporting cast includes a slew of well-known British faces, including Hugh Laurie, Peter Capaldi and Gwendoline Christie, with Tilda Swinton outstandingly funny as aunt Betsy Trotwood.
Many laugh-out-loud scenes relieve the Dickensian sentimentality. There are no magic tricks, but plenty of magical moments in a film that puts a visual focus on the power of words.

H is for Happiness (2019), directed by John Sheedy

Candice Phee is a super smart but slightly naïve 12-year-old who maintains a sunny outlook on life despite her dysfunctional family. Her mother is severely depressed following the cot death of Candice’s baby sister. Her dad is permanently on the computer and doesn’t speak to his brother, Rich Uncle Brian, following a business quarrel. Candice is determined to fix her broken family, aided by her new friend – Douglas Benson from another dimension – and a horse. This absurdist tale dips into cartoon territory, without ever going over the top. Daisy Axon perfectly portrays the precocious, but appealing, Candice. She is ably supported by a terrific cast, including Richard Roxburgh, Deborah Mailman and Miriam Margolyes. Based on the book My Life as an Alphabet, by Barry Jonsberg, this film is funny and moving, with some gently educational things to say about bullying, depression and family relationships. Little jokes inserted throughout provide a nice payoff at the end. It deserves a much larger audience than it is likely to receive, judging by how poorly it has been marketed. It covers similar territory to the much-hyped Paper Planes, another Australian film from a few years ago, but does it much better.