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 .. Read more
| Starring | Ben Kingsley, Jamie Foreman, Barney Clark, Harry Eden |
|---|---|
| Director | Roman Polanski |
| Genres | Family |
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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.
| Starring | Ben Kingsley, Jamie Foreman, Barney Clark, Harry Eden, Leanne Rowe, Edward Hardwicke, Mark Strong, Ian McNeice |
|---|---|
| Director | Roman Polanski |
| Studio | PATHE DISTRIBUTION |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 10 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Family |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 13 Feb 2006 Production year: 2005 |
| Format | DVD |
As a novel, Oliver Twist is episodic and often sentimental, especially in its wish-fulfilment ending all too... read more on Time Out
Memorable performances, beautiful cinematography and an absolutely stunning recreation of Victorian London
A very lavish and enjoyable production. I just couldn't help but wait for the songs but of course there weren't any. I have not read the book it was based on but I have good reason to believe that the film was honest creation. Ben Kingsley as Fagin was excellent, sinister and funny. It was like a "whos who " of British actors, one after the other.
I rented this for my mum who has been a fan of the original B/W edition for as long as she can remember.
Sadly this didn't compare and she said that the actors lacked the believability of the original and overall although it looked good, it lacked any real soul.
She is miserable though, so although die-hard fans of the original may not be too impressed, it's a good watch for everyone else particularly family watching.
As a film adaptation Oliver Twist has had its far share of treatments, most notably David Lean's 1948 version and Carol Reed's 1968 musical Oliver!. However, not many directors can inspire such anticipation as the celebrated Roman Polanski, creator of such masterpieces as China Town, Rosemary's Baby and The Pianist. In this new version of the Charles Dickens classic Harry Eden plays the Artful Dodger, while Ben Kingsley is the evil Fagin and Barney Clare the eponymous lead. For those who have... Read more
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