Despite the length, you’ll never fault the film’s craftsmanship.
Oliver Twist (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:133
Fresh:78
Rotten:55
Average Rating:6.3/10
Consensus: Polanski's version of Dickens' classic won't have audiences asking for more because while polished and directed with skill, the movie's a very impersonal experience.
Runtime: 2 hrs 5 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Sep 23, 2005 Limited
Box Office: $1,987,287
Synopsis: Acclaimed director Roman Polanski turns a dark eye toward the classic Charles Dickens novel OLIVER TWIST, about a charming orphan boy (Barney Clark) whose life seems to depend solely on the whims... Acclaimed director Roman Polanski turns a dark eye toward the classic Charles Dickens novel OLIVER TWIST, about a charming orphan boy (Barney Clark) whose life seems to depend solely on the whims of fate. Abandoned early in life, Oliver first seems doomed to life in a workhouse, where he is farmed out to a local undertaker where he regularly is underfed and mistreated. Hoping to improve his lot in life, Oliver runs away to London, where he falls in with a gang of petty criminals led by the fence Fagin (Ben Kingsley) and the young pickpocket the Artful Dodger (Harry Eden). His new situation seems like relief, until he meets Mr. Brownlow (Edward Hardwicke), who sees Oliver's true character and potential and seems determined to sway destiny. Despite his innocent performance, eleven-year old Barney Clark was already a seasoned professional when Polanski recruited him to play Oliver, including studies at the Anna Scher Theatre and performances in the film THE LAWLESS HEART and British television dramas FOYLE'S WAR and THE BRIEF. Also of note is the moving score by award-winning composer Rachel Portman, which brings to life the gritty life of Victorian London. Polanski can now add OLIVER TWIST to his array of classic films, including THE PIANIST and CHINATOWN, which forever will shape cinematic vision. [More]
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Jamie Foreman, Harry Eden, Leanne Rowe
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Jamie Foreman, Harry Eden, Leanne Rowe, Barney Clark, Edward Hardwicke, Mark Strong, Ian McNeice
Director: Roman Polanski
Director: Roman Polanski
Screenwriter: Ronald Harwood
Producer: Robert Benmussa, Alain Sarde
Composer: Rachel Portman
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
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Reviews for Oliver Twist
It's not Dickens and it's not David Lean, either. This perverse retelling of a classic could only be the work of one filmmaker that I can think of. It's my boy Polanski.
There's also strong support from Harry Eden, as well as Leanne Rowe as the archetypal tart-with-a-heart Nancy, whilst Jamie Foreman (nasty pieces of work a specialty) adds another great performance to his rogue's gallery of Cockney villains.
No one said "I want some more, sir," when it comes to film adaptations of the Charles Dickens classic.
Doesn't shy away from the text's alarming elements. They are instead put to good use, adding shadow and texture to the lively, plot-driven story.
The sad thing is that this really is a very fine film. Yet, at the end of the day, it's still Oliver Twist.
Dickens was a better social chronicler than storyteller, and Polanski has chosen to adopt that weakness in the interests of utter faithfulness to the text.
The strength of the Polanski film is its lack of sentimentality. He creates a cold, cruel world where an orphan boy, because of his station in life, has no future.
Polanski does what he can with source material that is larger than life.
Where the movie should hurt with an establishment built on dehumanization, it’s stagy and inert.
Plods along with the dutiful, near-reverent air of an annual Christmas sermon.
While Roman Polanski's latest version of Oliver doesn't make any bold new twists, it follows the recipe with great care and features several great performances.
Ben Kingsley finally recaptures his dignity after the trifecta of awfulness that was Thunderbirds, Suspect Zero, and A Sound of Thunder.
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