Oliver Twist (2005)

Dear Roman,

After having seen your latest movie I was thinking about it for quite some time and I would like to ask you some questions on it. First of all, production design. Sorry to say, but the streets of London always looked like a film set. Some horse leftovers on the ground doesn't make any difference. Life in those streets was rather artificial, as well. How to describe that in a lively way, you can read in Dickens' book. Some scenery shots were really bad. Was somebody painting glass for you? Who was your gaffer? And then the actors: Most of them come from the London area, I suppose, but does that mean they are authentic ?

What about the children? Nice faces put in old clothes don't make poor homeless pickpockets. They speak like well educated middle class kids and their life didn't appear miserable at all. Head of the gang Dodger looked like he enjoyed playing in a movie. The dog was not scary, Sykes wasn't scary, and what was Toby Crackit for in your version ? Finally Oliver. Well, he had to endure some bad treatment, but I did not see the desperate yet strong boy that Dickens described so well. Did you?

Frankly, Roman, I was bored. I love books, I like movies but this one was all so predictable and uninspired, and it is much too long. You had one excellent idea, however. Ben Kingsley. What a presence! Fagin is the one character that really lives. In the end it seems you wanted to give Ben an extra dramatic scene to let him prove how good he is, but he doesn't need to proof anything anymore, you know that.

So please forgive me when I ask: Why did you make this completely unnecessary movie ? Contract obligations ?

Respectfully,

Hellmao

Fmovies: The film concerns Oliver Twist (Barney Clark), an innocent and ill-treated waif who is living at a workhouse in early 19th-century . The orphan escapes and he goes to London plunging in the underbelly . There he's dragged into a life of crime when is befriended by a band of youthful pickpockets . The little robbers are trained to steal for their master Fagin (Ben Kingsley) . The boy is struggling to flee himself the underworld . He's subjected to many awful incidents before finding somebody to worry for him until his rescue from a miserable life by a noble (Edward Harwicke who replaced Frank Finlay) to whom a sadist thief called Bill (Jamie Foreman) tries to burgle his house .

The picture is a well done co-production , -being specially a British movie- of Charles Dickens immortal story . As Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist includes many more characters and subplots than can be fit into a just-over-2-hours film . This version narrows down and streamlines the story to focus on misfortunes of Oliver , the Artful Dodger , scheming Fagin , evilness by fearful Bill Sykes , Nancy , Mr. Brownlow and other criminal elements of London . The novel's other characters Mr. Bumble, Mrs. Mann, Mrs. Corny, Noah Claypole, Charlotte, Mr. Monks, the Maylie family, the Fleming family, and the Leeford family, are all either relegated to brief cameo roles or omitted entirely from the story .

Ben Kingsley's Fagin is a treat , he's magnificent as the mean and greedy old man creating an under-age army of plunderers ; besides , an awesome portrayal by the support casting . The movie has a clever utilization of effects , colour as well as lighting and with highly smartness use of edition to increase suspense in provoking drama , emotion or horrible events as when happens the killing . The idea of making a new version of Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" was suggested by Emmanuelle Seigne r, director Roman Polanski's wife , while he was looking for a plot that their children would find interesting. Director Roman Polanski's children have parts in the film, in fact , Morgane Polanski plays the farmer's daughter and Elvis Polanski plays the boy with the hoop . It's colorfully and sharply photographed by Pawel Edelman . Glowing cinematography of the rustic outdoors in Pre-Raphaelist style and gorgeous Victorian landscapes , just like urban London ; though , all of them were filmed in Czech Republic , at Prague Studies . In addition , excellent scenarios of dingy and dirty settings of the slums where the narration is developed . This is the best (along with David Lean version and the musical by Carol Reed) of many renditions about the unforgettable novel . Other retelling results to be the followings : by Frank LLoyd 1922 , by David Lean 1948 , and by Carol Reed 1968 . The motion picture was shot with nice detail and imaginatively realised by Roman Polanski .

Awesome movie. I am sure, people of all ages enjoyed the movie. Brilliant direction (well, it's Polanski, so there will be no mess), cinematography, acting and film-editing. But to me, the surprise was Ben Kingsley as Fagin. Man, what a stellar role he played in the movie. I can't forget it. He definitely should have been nominated for Osacr in Best Supporting actor role. Never felt the movie was 2hrs (+), as the movie drooled in an artistic yet visualistic way, as Dickens had written this masterpiece. I hope Dickens would have been surely happy (had he been alive; lol) to watch this movie. Great piece of work Polanski, I am a real fan of yours.

Oliver Twist fmovies. Oliver Twist in Roman Polanski's version has many similarities with the earlier Oliver! version, despite to fact that more than 20 years have passed between these versions. Even the actors who play Fagin and Skyse look the same. I think however that this movie is even better, because, since it's not a musical, the plot does not stop for songs and it flows more smoothly. Moreover, this movie of course also follows the book more closely.

Why did I find it to be excellent? Because the acting, the settings, the costumes and everything else were excellent. Oliver and all the children play amazingly well, Fagin (an unrecognizable Ben Kinglsey_ and Sykes play their wickedness perfectly and their characters are very convincing. Even the dog is very convincing! Add to the acting the coherent script and the three dimensional characters, the romantic goodbye scene in jail between Oliver and Fagin, and one could definitely say that the film contains all the elements of a sensitive and well made movie.

Polanski is the kid of guy who likes to dance on the edge. A mixture of clown, genius and artist who has suffered personal tragedy and humiliation but one who keeps cranking amazing films. This Oliver Twist is no exception. Polanski has reworked the story and taken out the 19th century coincidences, e.g., the highly improbable fact that Oliver is Brownlow's grandson and the business with the portrait of Oliver's mother, given the old tale a fresh coat of paint with new amazing character actors such as Leanne Rowe, a young and thoroughly charming Nancy, Henry Eden, a scamp of a Dodger, Jamie Forman, a repulsive Bill Sykes with no redeeming features whatsoever and the veteran Edward Hardwicke as Brownlow. But, it's young Barney Clark who steals the show. In past versions, Oliver is merely a device upon which the other array of characters are hung. We'll all remember Sir Alec Guinness, Richard Dreyfus and Ron Moody's Fagin, Oliver Reed and Robert Newton's Bill Syke, Elijah Wood, Anthony Newley and Jack Wild's Dodger but who were the Olivers? We will remember young Master Barney Clark in this marvelous, intriguing and eye-pleasing Oliver.

There was little that Charles Dickens didn't know about human nature. Who better to interpret his work for the screen than the similarly gifted Roman Polanski.

Polanski's film allows everyone their humanity. Even the extras who people the immaculately designed sets, seem to have a life outside of this film. Ben Kingsley's performance as Fagin is not held in aspic in old age, but is full of hints about his earlier life. Oliver's sufferings seem to mirror that of children in many places and in all times. When it is alleviated it is not by those worldly motivations of charity or civil duty. While a carriage full of prosperous people studiously ignore his plight, a poor old woman who has little herself cares for him. While the wealthy city is content for him to die on the street, a criminal feeds him. When Oliver finally takes his place in the middle class, a priggish religiosity reminds us of Victorian society's cure for criminality. In the end Polanski knows and Dickens asserts that individual decency and humanity alone provide hope.