REVIEWED BY GARY CABANA - THE REEL REVIEWER
OLIVER TWIST
Forget the fact that Roman Polanski's name is on this project, this 'umpteenth'
Dickens adaptation is as derivative as any Hallmark Hall of fame TV-special and
will only meet the expectations of youngsters unfamiliar with previous productions!
2-1/2 stars (out of 4 -for me) / MUST-SEE for 1st-time family audiences ONLY
[(2005)UK-Czech Republic-France-Italy/Sony-TriStar/Rated PG-13] - (2 hrs. 10 min.)
Directed by Roman Polanski
Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
Source: based on the novel by Charles Dickens
Lead characters/Cast
Fagin - Ben Kingsley
Oliver Twist - Barney Clark
Review:
Oliver's most oft-quoted line: 'Please Sir, may I have some more?'
The good news is that this film is a completely faithful rendering of Charles Dickens classic novel, and the bad news is that this movie is so true to the material that it offers nothing new. Sadly, audiences (unlke Oliver) probably won't be crying out for "more" when this film creaks into their local cinema, a pretty surprising development considering the almost-always inventive Roman Polanski ("The Pianist") was at the helm.
If this production had been proffered as a 'Masterpiece theater' presentation from an unknown director then one could certainly appreciate it as a noble attempt, but for a master craftsman like Polanski this all seems awfully old hat.
Even the studied look of the film is more for TV audiences than the 'big screen' with many of the muddy streets seeming a bit too clean with very little smoke in the air, which most films of the Industrial Revolution utilize, to create the hazy, seedy locale that London certainly must have been at that time.
Even the 'Artful Dodger' and his pals seem cleaned up for TV with none of the attendant
squalor for 'Oliver' to get caught up in.
That said, the too-clean sets, costumes, and photography are all first-rate as one would expect from Polanski's highly experienced Oscar-winning production team.
The script makes shortshrift of Oliver's early days and tries to quickly get him to his
fateful meeting with 'Fagin' (Ben Kingsley). The film might have been better off starting at this point since most viewers will be all-too-familiar with the material, plus the jumping around to various years in Oliver's life is only as edifying as reading the Cliffs Notes version of the novel.
It seems the target audience for this version may only be those too young to read or adults who somehow have missed the (too?) many versions of this story already in
existence.
Last, but not least, little Barney Clark is certainly a cute kid, but he's no Freddie Highmore ("Neverland") in the acting and charisma department. A starring role, no matter what the age of the actor, is a huge responsiblity, and a performer that lacks a minimum of charm only makes it harder for the viewer to identify with their portrayal.
Clark may be a sweet boy in real life, but unfortunately, that's not enough to be a movie star on the big screen. Okay, call me a Scrooge (wrong novel) but it had to be said.
Long-in-the-tooth Dickensians, you've been warned, but undiscerning toddlers won't know the difference so nevermind my candor parental units. You can let the movie be your babysitter for the afternoon as holding the attention of the very young is all this
'adaptation' seems to be good for.
Back to the drawing board Roman ...
Supporting characters/Cast
Bill Sykes - Jamie Foreman
Artful Dodger - Harry Eden
Nancy - Leanne Rowe
Mr. Brownlow - Edward Hardwicke
Mr. Limbkins - Ian McNeice
Toby Crackit - Mark Strong
Mr. Bumble - Jeremy Swift
Mrs. Bedwin - Frances Cuka
Mr. Sowerberry - Michael Heath
Mrs. Sowerberry - Gillian
Hanna Magistrate Fang - Alun Armstrong
Workhouse Master - Andy De La
Tour Dining Hall Master - Peter Copley
Old Woman - Liz Smith
Synopsis (from distrib):
Following their Academy-Award® winning film, The Pianist, director Roman Polanski and writer Ronald Harwood re-imagine Charles Dickens’ classic story of a young boy who gets involved with a gang of pickpockets in 19th Century London.
Orphaned at an early age, Oliver Twist (Barney Clark) is forced to live in a workhouse lorded over by the awful Mr. Bumble, who cheats the boys of their meager rations.
Desperate yet determined, Oliver makes his escape to the streets of London. Penniless and alone, he is lured into a world of crime by the sinister Fagin (Academy-Award® winner Sir Ben Kingsley) -- the mastermind of a gang of pint-sized pickpockets.
Oliver's rescue by the kindly Mr. Brownlow is only the beginning of a series of adventures that lead him to the promise of a better life.
MOVIE WEBSITE
French website & teaser
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OLIVER TWIST
Forget the fact that Roman Polanski's name is on this project, this 'umpteenth'
Dickens adaptation is as derivative as any Hallmark Hall of fame TV-special and
will only meet the expectations of youngsters unfamiliar with previous productions!
2-1/2 stars (out of 4 -for me) / MUST-SEE for 1st-time family audiences ONLY
[(2005)UK-Czech Republic-France-Italy/Sony-TriStar/Rated PG-13] - (2 hrs. 10 min.)
Directed by Roman Polanski
Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
Source: based on the novel by Charles Dickens
Lead characters/Cast
Fagin - Ben Kingsley
Oliver Twist - Barney Clark
Review:
Oliver's most oft-quoted line: 'Please Sir, may I have some more?'
The good news is that this film is a completely faithful rendering of Charles Dickens classic novel, and the bad news is that this movie is so true to the material that it offers nothing new. Sadly, audiences (unlke Oliver) probably won't be crying out for "more" when this film creaks into their local cinema, a pretty surprising development considering the almost-always inventive Roman Polanski ("The Pianist") was at the helm.
If this production had been proffered as a 'Masterpiece theater' presentation from an unknown director then one could certainly appreciate it as a noble attempt, but for a master craftsman like Polanski this all seems awfully old hat.
Even the studied look of the film is more for TV audiences than the 'big screen' with many of the muddy streets seeming a bit too clean with very little smoke in the air, which most films of the Industrial Revolution utilize, to create the hazy, seedy locale that London certainly must have been at that time.
Even the 'Artful Dodger' and his pals seem cleaned up for TV with none of the attendant
squalor for 'Oliver' to get caught up in.
That said, the too-clean sets, costumes, and photography are all first-rate as one would expect from Polanski's highly experienced Oscar-winning production team.
The script makes shortshrift of Oliver's early days and tries to quickly get him to his
fateful meeting with 'Fagin' (Ben Kingsley). The film might have been better off starting at this point since most viewers will be all-too-familiar with the material, plus the jumping around to various years in Oliver's life is only as edifying as reading the Cliffs Notes version of the novel.
It seems the target audience for this version may only be those too young to read or adults who somehow have missed the (too?) many versions of this story already in
existence.
Last, but not least, little Barney Clark is certainly a cute kid, but he's no Freddie Highmore ("Neverland") in the acting and charisma department. A starring role, no matter what the age of the actor, is a huge responsiblity, and a performer that lacks a minimum of charm only makes it harder for the viewer to identify with their portrayal.
Clark may be a sweet boy in real life, but unfortunately, that's not enough to be a movie star on the big screen. Okay, call me a Scrooge (wrong novel) but it had to be said.
Long-in-the-tooth Dickensians, you've been warned, but undiscerning toddlers won't know the difference so nevermind my candor parental units. You can let the movie be your babysitter for the afternoon as holding the attention of the very young is all this
'adaptation' seems to be good for.
Back to the drawing board Roman ...
Supporting characters/Cast
Bill Sykes - Jamie Foreman
Artful Dodger - Harry Eden
Nancy - Leanne Rowe
Mr. Brownlow - Edward Hardwicke
Mr. Limbkins - Ian McNeice
Toby Crackit - Mark Strong
Mr. Bumble - Jeremy Swift
Mrs. Bedwin - Frances Cuka
Mr. Sowerberry - Michael Heath
Mrs. Sowerberry - Gillian
Hanna Magistrate Fang - Alun Armstrong
Workhouse Master - Andy De La
Tour Dining Hall Master - Peter Copley
Old Woman - Liz Smith
Synopsis (from distrib):
Following their Academy-Award® winning film, The Pianist, director Roman Polanski and writer Ronald Harwood re-imagine Charles Dickens’ classic story of a young boy who gets involved with a gang of pickpockets in 19th Century London.
Orphaned at an early age, Oliver Twist (Barney Clark) is forced to live in a workhouse lorded over by the awful Mr. Bumble, who cheats the boys of their meager rations.
Desperate yet determined, Oliver makes his escape to the streets of London. Penniless and alone, he is lured into a world of crime by the sinister Fagin (Academy-Award® winner Sir Ben Kingsley) -- the mastermind of a gang of pint-sized pickpockets.
Oliver's rescue by the kindly Mr. Brownlow is only the beginning of a series of adventures that lead him to the promise of a better life.
MOVIE WEBSITE
French website & teaser
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++