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Movies / On DVD / Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist

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Oliver Twist (2005)

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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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Release:

Jan 24, 2006

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Reviews for Oliver Twist

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21 - 40 (sorted by date)
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Despite the length, you’ll never fault the film’s craftsmanship.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Weekly | comment Comment
10/13/05
Sean O'Connell
Sean O'Connell
Charlotte Weekly

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.

Full Review Source: F5 (Wichita, KS) | comment Comment
10/10/05
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

Please sir, can we have some less?

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
10/08/05
Andy Jacobs
Andy Jacobs
BBC

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.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/08/05
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

No one said "I want some more, sir," when it comes to film adaptations of the Charles Dickens classic.

Full Review Source: Boulder Weekly | comment Comment
10/07/05
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

Why, oh why, wasn’t this movie released at Christmas time?

Full Review Source: KWQC-TV (Iowa) | comment Comment
10/07/05
Linda Cook
Linda Cook
KWQC-TV (Iowa)
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
10/07/05
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

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.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
10/07/05
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
10/06/05
Time Out

Polanski is the perfect director for the project.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
10/06/05
Rex Roberts
Rex Roberts
Film Journal International

The sad thing is that this really is a very fine film. Yet, at the end of the day, it's still Oliver Twist.

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
10/05/05
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

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.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
10/04/05
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

Okay, I get it. Polanski doesn’t want us to forget his childhood.

Full Review Source: FilmsInReview.com | comment Comment
10/04/05
Victoria Alexander
Victoria Alexander
FilmsInReview.com

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.

Full Review Source: Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) | comment Comment
10/04/05
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

Polanski does what he can with source material that is larger than life.

Full Review Source: Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah) | comment Comment
10/04/05
Audrey Rock-Richardson
Audrey Rock-Richardson
Tooele Transcript-Bulletin (Utah)

Where the movie should hurt with an establishment built on dehumanization, it’s stagy and inert.

Full Review Source: Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | comment Comment
10/03/05
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Plods along with the dutiful, near-reverent air of an annual Christmas sermon.

Full Review Source: Fresno Bee | comment Comment
10/03/05
Donald Munro
Donald Munro
Fresno Bee

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.

Full Review Source: Richmond.com | comment Comment
10/03/05
Mike Ward
Mike Ward
Richmond.com

Ben Kingsley finally recaptures his dignity after the trifecta of awfulness that was Thunderbirds, Suspect Zero, and A Sound of Thunder.

Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | comment Comment
10/03/05
Joshua Tyler
Joshua Tyler
CinemaBlend.com

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
10/03/05
Peter Sobczynski
Peter Sobczynski
eFilmCritic.com
 
 
21 - 40 (sorted by date)
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Latest News for Oliver Twist

October 27, 2006: Polanski's Role in "Rush Hour 3"
Wondering how/why filmmaker Roman Polanski would be appearing in next summer's "Rush Hour 3"? I'll admit I was a little curious, so here's a little scoop: He's playing... More...

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International acting stud Javier Bardem and well-rounded movie director Mike Newell are about to bring the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Love in the Time of Cholera" to the... More...

September 29, 2005: Critical Consensus: "Blue" Sinks, "Violence" Kills, "Serenity" Soars
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