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Twist

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Twist (2004)

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Reviews Counted:31

Fresh:5

Rotten:26

Average Rating:4.4/10

Consensus: Despite of its contemporary setting and some strong performances, this is a bland retelling of Oliver Twist.

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:May 21, 2004 Limited

Synopsis: TWIST is a calmly lucid re-telling of Charles Dickens` classic Oliver Twist, updated to current times and moved out of the poor house and onto the streets of Toronto. Told from the point of view of... TWIST is a calmly lucid re-telling of Charles Dickens` classic Oliver Twist, updated to current times and moved out of the poor house and onto the streets of Toronto. Told from the point of view of The Artful Dodger (Dodge), TWIST is no longer a tale of the misfortunes of boys, but rather about the prosaically beautiful Oliver who falls into the hands of down-and-out young men. Dodge takes the young man under his wing and instructs him in the unforgiving arts of drug abuse and prostitution. As Oliver`s innocence dissolves, both young men confront inner and outer demons and, strangely, it is Dodge who finds he cannot escape his past. Faithful to the tragedy on which it is based, TWIST is about the creation of evil and the cyclical nature of violence that can keep even the bravest among us tangled in its web. Actor-turned-director/writer Jacob Tierney (The Neon Bible, This Is My Father), elicits exquisitely subtle performances from an ensemble cast featuring Nick Stahl (In the Bedroom, Terminator 3) and newcomer Joshua Close as the almost angelic Oliver. Although faithful to the social reformist impulse at the heart of Dickens` writing, TWIST translates the novel`s sorrow and fierce poignancy into starkly composed, beautifully cold images that will resonate with contemporary audiences. The film was a selection in both the Toronto International Film Festival and the Venice International Film Festival. -- © Strand Releasing [More]

Starring: Nick Stahl, Joshua Close, Gary Farmer, Stephen McHattie

Starring: Nick Stahl, Joshua Close, Gary Farmer, Stephen McHattie, Michele-Barbara Pelletier

Director: Jacob Tierney

Director: Jacob Tierney
Screenwriter: Jacob Tierney
Studio: Strand Releasing

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Oct 19, 2004

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Reviews for Twist

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating)
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[Tierney] shows a sure and confident hand in the script-writing, pacing and his vision of a starkly-shot grey, cold and inhospitable Toronto in the dead of winter.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
06/04/04
Jane Stevenson
Jane Stevenson
Jam! Movies

Decidedly dark but consistently engaging.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
06/03/04
Kevin Thomas
Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A surprisingly deep, dramatic twist on an old melodrama.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
08/19/04
Laura Kelly
Laura Kelly
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Twist is not so much an adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist as a wholesale repurposing of its characters and themes.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
05/21/04
Michael Tunison
Michael Tunison
Boxoffice Magazine

Although faithful to the social-reformist urgency at the heart of Charles Dickens' writing, Twist translates the novel's mixture of evil and poignancy into a valid theme for today's hard-boiled audiences.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
05/20/04
Rex Reed
Rex Reed
New York Observer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If you're going to mess with Dickens, you should show us the goods. And Tierney fails to do just that.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
05/28/04
E! Online

Exceptional performances and effective raw moments, but too sordid for enjoyment.

Full Review Source: Sympatico.ca | comment Comment
06/07/04
Angela Baldassarre
Angela Baldassarre
Sympatico.ca

Unrelenting in its tragedy, this movie should come with a major bummer warning or something to help you recover from the haunting images. The story is a little thin at times.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
08/06/04
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

My memory may be a little vague on this one, but I don’t recall any incest scenes in the original Oliver Twist

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/04/04
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

If there is anything to be gained from tugging Oliver Twist from early industrial London to contemporary Toronto, it is not evident in this small, bland Canadian film.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/04
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

There's nothing here a handful of show-stopping production numbers--or a good steam cleaning--couldn't fix.

Full Review Source: Movie Boeuf | comment Comment
07/16/04
David N. Butterworth
David N. Butterworth
Movie Boeuf

A joyless series of shooting-up scenes.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
08/08/04
David Noh
David Noh
Film Journal International

The movie's far too stagy and pretentious.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
07/30/04
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/07/04
Don Willmott
Don Willmott
Filmcritic.com

Despite some strong performances, the movie never really makes a case for its own existence.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
05/21/04
Elizabeth Weitzman
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News

If he's listening, old Charlie Dickens must surely be yelling 'Liven it up, lads!' from the grave.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
06/02/04
Ella Taylor
Ella Taylor
L.A. Weekly

Ultimately more unsavory than enlightening, and would have benefited from a more humorous approach to its purloined themes.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
06/22/04
Frank Scheck
Frank Scheck
Hollywood Reporter

Isn't without interest, but overall it's more an earnest attempt than a successful accomplishmrent.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
08/04/04
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

transforming the ending into a more realistic outcome doesn't make this provocative arthouse fare

Full Review Source: ToxicUniverse.com | comment Comment
06/18/04
John A. Nesbit
John A. Nesbit
ToxicUniverse.com

One of the glummest recent attempts to drag a classic story into the 21st century.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
09/03/04
John Hartl
John Hartl
Seattle Times
 
 
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