Polanski presents a good but not great rendering of Dickens' oft-filmed second novel.
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
While the picture is not quite a masterpiece it does carry the stamp of a master filmmaker working at the height of his abilities.
'Oliver Twist' proves what 'The Pianist' only hinted at—that Roman Polanski is the world’s most talented paint-by-numbers artist.
Is it worth renting the video sometime in the spring so the little darlings can cheat on their book report? Perhaps, as it's unusually faithful to the original source.
It's noble, high-minded and safe, and I can't help thinking that I would have preferred an audacious but honest failure.
Great expectations are unavoidable when Roman Polanski takes on a Charles Dickens classic. Alas, his version of Oliver Twist fails to live up to them.
Oliver Twist has been done repeatedly on film and TV, but never better than in Roman Polanski's beautiful and tough-minded movie.
Engaging, handsomely photographed and beautifully acted, Polanski's Oliver Twist, adapted by Pianist screenwriter Ronald Harwood, distinguishes itself from most versions in its decidedly dark tone.
Poignant and primal, Roman Polanski's splendid adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic pricks the heart and the conscience.
As family fare goes, this makes The Corpse Bride look like Chicken Little.
A movie that's beautifully acted, with an eye for drab period detail.
Beauty and hateful ugliness meet in extraordinary harmony in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist, fitting for a story that is a study in obvious contrasts.
Oliver Twist is a lovely, tony picture, but it isn't exactly essential.
Nitpickers may squawk over missing elements, but the film doggedly hits on the book's big themes: the power of innocence, the cruelty of class.
The question of why anyone would bother to make another film version of `Oliver Twist' is not answered by director Roman Polanski.
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