Oliver Twist

Name: Oliver Twist
Genre: Drama, Family
Released: September 23, 2005
Duration: 130 min
Rating: 65
Cast: Barney Clark

2005

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 57 Ratings

See All

7.3

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7.3	Your Score
7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 57 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Oliver Twist

Now Playing: Oliver Twist

Movie Details & Credits

TriStar Pictures | Release Date: September 23, 2005 | PG-13

Starring: Barney Clark

Summary: 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. (Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Director: Roman Polanski

Genre(s): Drama, Family

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 130 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Peter Rainer

Altogether remarkable, a near-masterpiece. Read full review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Yet precisely because this is by Roman Polanski, it's irresistible to read his sorrowful and seemingly classical take, from a filmmaker known as much for the schisms in his personal history as for the lurches in his work, as something much more personal and poignant. Read full review

Premiere Ryan Devlin

It's worth noting that Oliver Twist will likely be no Harry Potter at the box office, due in no small part to a lack of bombastic special effects and supernatural subplots, yet it's nearly as entertaining, even without the wizardry. Read full review

Steve Davis

As in "The Pianist," Polanski is content to allow the film's narrative to evoke the emotions he wishes his audience to experience. Read full review

Michael Phillips

Filming on locations in Prague and in various Czech locations serving as London and the English countryside, the director delivers Dickens' tale with some style. The style, however, is that of a more cautious artist than Polanski is at his best. Read full review

Kirk Honeycutt

The biggest surprise in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist is that there are no surprises. Read full review

Ann Hornaday

The fact that there's nothing wrong with it -- that there's nary a scenic detail or scrap of dialogue or performance that isn't utterly on the nose -- is precisely what's wrong with it. Read full review

SEE ALL 36 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

ManolisS.

Oct 1, 2006

A very personal take on Oliver Twist for Polanski, full of emotions, similar to the Pianist, where people look at life through windows, little Oliver on the road gathers all good and positive aspects of life through his adventures, near masterpiece, cinema at its best!!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

jaynee.

Sep 28, 2005

A fantastic film.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

MichaelD

Apr 18, 2011

Like Crysania, I didn't really watch or read the original ones so this was new to me. And I'll say, I really enjoyed this movie. I really didn't expect the movie to be that good.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Jan 16, 2017

Le film a les qualités de ses défauts et vice et versa... à moins que ce ne soit l'inverse ! L'origine de cette étrangeté est bien sûr le livre de Dickens qui nous dépeint -tout bien considéré- une histoire à dormir debout à faire couiner les violons : elle semble aussi improbableLe film a les qualités de ses défauts et vice et versa... à moins que ce ne soit l'inverse ! L'origine de cette étrangeté est bien sûr le livre de Dickens qui nous dépeint -tout bien considéré- une histoire à dormir debout à faire couiner les violons : elle semble aussi improbable qu'exagérée, tirée par les cheveux et se repaît dans le misérabilisme forcené.

Polanski part donc avec un handicap dans son adaptation : l'oeuvre elle-même. Pourtant, il évite l'écueil de la caricature et parvient à rester relativement neutre, assez distancié et presque ironique parfois. Même valse-hésitation entre une certaine légèreté et une dureté certaine : Oliver Twist est-elle une fable pour les gamins ou un conte... d'horreur ? Polanski a choisi le compromis.

Il délivre une belle réalisation, une reconstitution fidèle de cette (horrible) époque et démontre si besoin était que la direction d'acteurs est toujours son point fort. Ainsi, le gosse incarne parfaitement l'innocent persécuté par un malin destin dont Victor Hugo s'est sans doute inspiré pour son épopée des Misérables. Sans parler bien entendu de la performance exceptionnelle de Ben Kingsley... mais est-il encore nécessaire de mentionner cette évidence : Kinsley is the King indeed.

Pour résumer, on y croit pas et on en rigole presque... et en même temps, on reconnaît la beauté de l'histoire -aussi folle soit-elle- habilement portée à l'écran par un Polanski très inspiré, lui aussi.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Mehrshad_MB

Jul 5, 2021

Oliver Twist movie is disappointing for those who have read the book. The movie speeds up all of a sudden and doesn't focus on the things that it should. Some important parts were removed from the original story. 1830s England is shown really good in the movie. The streets, buildings, alleysOliver Twist movie is disappointing for those who have read the book. The movie speeds up all of a sudden and doesn't focus on the things that it should. Some important parts were removed from the original story. 1830s England is shown really good in the movie. The streets, buildings, alleys are portrayed well.
In conclusion, Oliver Twist 2005 is a movie without any twists and surprises which makes the movie boring after some time.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

EmmaC.

Nov 12, 2005

I think most of the viewers have seen this act out thing already.so when we saw this movie...we will like already know what will be going on in the next secne.so i may thought that to change some of the scene into better ones.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

PrudenceK.

Sep 24, 2005

Frightening! That was very disturbing. Don't see it! I'm telling you that you'll be sorry. In my top 10 of most disturbing films ever made!

0 of 0 users found this helpful

SEE ALL 19 REVIEWS