Oliver Twist

See Larger Image	List Price: £15.99 Our Price: £9.48 Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours Manufacturer: Pathe Distribution Starring: Ben Kingsley, Jamie Foreman, Barney Clark, Harry Eden, Leanne Rowe Directed By: Roman Polanski Average Customer Rating:


Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Audience Rating: Parental Guidance Binding: DVD EAN: 5060002834664 Format: PAL Label: Pathe Distribution Manufacturer: Pathe Distribution Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Pathe Distribution Region Code: 2 Release Date: 2006-02-13 Running Time: 125 Studio: Pathe Distribution
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Editorial Reviews: If Charles Dickens were alive to see Roman Polanski's faithful adaptation of Oliver Twist, he'd probably give it his stamp of approval. David Lean's celebrated 1948 version of the Dickens classic and Carol Reed's Oscar-winning 1968 musical are more entertaining in some ways, but Polanski's rendition is both painstakingly authentic (with superb cinematography and production design) and deeply rooted in the emotional context of the story. Both Polanski and Dickens had personal experiences similar to those of young Oliver (played here by Barney Clark)--Polanski in the Nazi-occupied ghettos of Poland during World War II, and Dickens during his hard-scrabble youth in Victorian London--and this spiritual kinship lends a certain gravitas to the tale of a tenacious orphan who escaped from indentured servitude in London society and is taken in by Fagin (Ben Kingsley) and his streetwise gang of pickpockets. As the evil Bill Sykes, who exploits Oliver for his own nefarious needs, Jamie Foreman is no match for Oliver Reed (in the '68 musical) in terms of frightening menace, but even here, Polanski's direction hews closer to Dickens, while the screenplay by Ronald Harwood (who also wrote Polanski's The Pianist) necessarily trims away subplots and characters for the sake of narrative economy. All in all, this Oliver Twist rises above most previous versions, and with the benefit of Kingsley's nuanced performance, Polanski arrives at a compassionate conclusion that captures the essence of Dickens' novel in a way that viewers of all ages will appreciate for many years to come.-- Jeff Shannon
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: More beautiful and human than heartbreaking Comment: This recent adaptation of Dickens' Oliver Twist is just one more in a long, long series, would you say. And you would be wrong. But what can it bring that could be new on a subject we all know since this book and this story are classics that everyone knows and that are even at times kind of over-repeated. Roman Polanski decides to renew the treatment of the theme by using the fact that we know all major events and episodes by going as fast as possible on the core of the episodes and insisting on what is around, before or after. If the episode is hard, like Nancy's death, he uses an ellipse that shortens it. If the episode is over-known, like the begging for more porridge, he centers the scene on the drawing of who is going to volunteer, and then on what comes before and follows. That enables Polanski to avoid melodrama and a sentimentalese treatment and to concentrate on the human side of things. He is helped in his attempt by the admirable acting of Ben Kingsley as Fagan. Of course Polanski cannot bring anything new on the subject and he concentrates on the pictorial and plastic beauty of this color adaptation and on the extreme sincerity of the actors, good or evil. But is it able to erase the unforgettable post-war black and white adaptation in our memory? Probably not, but they are so different that they don't compete. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines Customer Rating: Summary: Polanski made this film for his children! Comment: Polanski himself said that he had always wanted to make a film for his children and Oliver Twist is what he choose. I thought this was a fantastic film which brought tears and laughter! This is certainly the best Twist we've had and i enjoy watching it again and again! Brilliant! STD Customer Rating: Summary: Simply amazing! Comment: A truely stunning cinematic experience. The most faithful version committed to film - buy it, watch it, love it! Customer Rating: Summary: Superb! Comment: We were learning about this film in English, and this has been the best film I have seen all year, beating Pirates and Harry Potter by a loooong way. And jusging by the rest of the classes silence and full attention, I say they'd agree. The story is easy to follow, the acting is brilliant (Which is necessary judging the strong characters such as Sykes) scenery is great, some moments are very moving and make you gasp, and the soundtrack is brilliant which is needed in a film. Well done to Roman Polanski. I would highly recommend seeing this, and it would make a good family film. Customer Rating: Summary: Lemon of Twist Comment: Why did Roman Polanski decide to make this film? Maybe he was just trying to get the full range of movies on his CV. Maybe he thought he could give the story that extra something it never had before. This version is workmanlike, but it doesn't break new ground and it doesn't have any wow factor. It tries to remain faithful to the book, but inevitably it truncates and conflates. It tries to show the gloom and filth of those early industrial days, but the muddy, ratty streets can't make up for the painted backdrops and chocolate-box urchins of ye olde London town. Meanwhile Mr Bumble, one of the great Dickens characters, hardly gets a look in, while Mr Brownlow forms such a strong liking for Oliver so quickly that one feels a little suspicious of his motives, especially given the director's own legal history. (Actually, now I think about it, is Polanski trying to highlight the tug of love for 10-year-old Oliver between bent and scabby old Fagin and the upright, perfumed Mr Brownlow...? Ugh.) Anyway, back to the film. Oliver's mother's backstory is left out, along with Rose Maylie and the villainous and potentially excellent Mr Monks, which deprives us of the happy twist of familial fate in the denouement. Among those that made the final cut, the acting is patchy at best, not helped by every member of the cast reaching for a different accent. Ben Kingsley obviously has a great time playing Fagin, but who wouldn't? On the upside, there are at least two really over-the-top hairpieces (one of them obscures most of Brownlow's face) which makes you wonder if the stylist wasn't having a bit of a laugh and trying to subvert Polanski's dark vision. If so, high five to the wig department! Steer clear, unless you are a determined collector of Kingsley, Dickens, Polanski or comedy moustaches. More Reviews