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Twist (2004)
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Reviews Counted:14
Fresh:2
Rotten:12
Average Rating:4.4/10
Consensus: Despite of its contemporary setting and some strong performances, this is a bland retelling of Oliver Twist.
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
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Reviews for Twist
The only thing funny about Twist is how seriously it takes its own pompous preposterousness.
Cuaron ran into trouble by being overly faithful to Dickens' story, changing almost nothing except the setting.
Apart from the somewhat novel conceit of turning Dickens into the stuff of a Gus Van Sant picture (see My Own Private Idaho), there's nothing original, nor compelling, about Twist.
Ultimately more unsavory than enlightening, and would have benefited from a more humorous approach to its purloined themes.
Not much happens in Twist, apart from a dismal series of personal degradations, each more depressing than the last.
Stahl is definitely one to watch closely -- he's the real deal. But the emerging plot isn't.
Twist tries to be creative and profound, but I think it fails miserably.
More tedious than affecting, the film feels like an excuse for reproducing more of the kind of kinky imagery notoriously employed by fashion photographer Steven Meisel in his creepy pedophile advertisements for Calvin Klein.
Despite some strong performances, the movie never really makes a case for its own existence.
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.
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.
You know things are bad when the most interesting character, the menacing brute Bill Sykes, is never heard or seen on-screen.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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