Directed by Armando Iannucci who co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Blackwell, The Personal History of David Copperfield was never likely to resemble a BBC Sunday tea time serial that some of us remember from childhood days.

Messrs Iannucci and Blackwell have previously collaborated on such satirical comedic work as The Thick of It, The Loop and Time Trumpet – Armando Iannucci also wrote and directed The Death of Stalin, a superb piece of satire, in 2017.

So hopes for this first film adaptation of Dickens’ classic in over 50 years were exceptionally high. They were met in full.

From the little I’ve read of Dickens (Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol) I’m aware that he enjoys creating ridiculously comic characters with bizarre behaviours and physical oddities. And in this tale of the little loved, little wanted boy maturing into a young gentleman, the ensemble cast is given free rein to indulgently over-act to their hearts’ content; it works brilliantly. There’s not a weak link, every actor seems to be thoroughly enjoying themselves and this fun emanates from the screen. This is complimented by set, production and costume design all of which is flawless and adds to the sense of enjoyment. Cinematography from Zac Nicholson is also to be commended.

The script is sharp and there are many laugh out loud scenes, with jokes both visual and verbal, especially in the film’s first half. Social commentary is almost entirely visual. And it’s moving; when the older David Copperfield speaks to his younger self at the film’s end, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one to well up.

Mr Iannucci directs with energy and has a few tricks up his sleeve to keep the audience engaged.

My only question is why Mr Micawber is not given his famous line: ‘Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.’ I can only guess the filmmakers are exponents of Modern Monetary Theory so decided to give this principle a swerve.

The Personal History of David Copperfield is an unfettered delight from start to finish. I think this is going to become an annual Christmas treat for me.