Review: Oliver Twist

Director : Roman Polanski

Main Cast : Barney Clark, Ben Kingsley

The main problem with this film is that is has already been filmed before. The 1968 version, a musical no less, is one of the most loved films of all time, filled with classic sing-along songs. The new Roman Polanski (The Pianist) version, though, has no songs. And Oliver without the songs, is just plain boring and disappointing. I want Artful Dodger to start singing to Oliver when he first finds him "Consider yourself, our friend! Consider yourself, part of the family!", or Fagin singing "You gotta pick a pocket or twooooooo, you gotta pick a pocket or two!". The anticipation of the songs is heightened more by the fact that everyone looks exactly the same in appearance and costume to the musical version, especially Artful Dodger and Fagin. It's like a remake of the 1968 film, rather than a remake of the original book. Without the songs, of course. Maybe I'm saying this because I have a soft spot for musicals, but I'm sure that those like me who have seen the 1968 film would agree with me. I mean, it's like watching The Sound Of Music but without the songs!

At over 2 hours long, it's a real bore of a film, and had me looking at my watch every 10 minutes, longing for it to end quickly and spare me further suffering. I thought my torture was finally over when Bill Sykes got killed. Finally! And they lived happily ever after. The End. Well, not exactly. Polanski saw fit to add a lengthened scene at the end to show Oliver meeting Fagin for the last time. Aaaaarrrgghhhh!