SummaryDirector 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)
Directed By:Roman Polanski
Written By:Charles Dickens, Ronald Harwood
Oliver Twist
Metascore
Generally Favorable
65
User score
Generally Favorable
6.8
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
65
72% Positive
26 Reviews
26 Reviews
25% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
100
A grounded and unusually matter-of-fact adaptation.
80
With tact and enthusiasm, Mr. Polanski grabs hold of a great book and rediscovers its true and enduring vitality.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.8
70% Positive
26 Ratings
26 Ratings
22% Mixed
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
8% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
Apr 18, 2011
9
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.
Jan 16, 2017
7
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 **** 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.
70
The most effective counterweight to Polanski's fatalism is young Barney Clark, whose Oliver--although given to few words--is unshakably alive and responsive, even as he's being buffeted violently by forces beyond his control.
67
And that ultimately may be the problem with the Polanski version: by bringing Oliver forward, you push the drama backward.
63
So what's surprising here isn't Polanski's choice of material but his utter failure to put any distinctive stamp on it.
50
Kingsley is one of very few lively things about Polanski's plodding, by-the-numbers Oliver Twist. And in this dreary setting, he comes across more as a desperate clown than a saving grace, which makes it all the more awkward that no one else is clowning along with him.
30
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.
Apr 3, 2013
7
Um bom filme, que mostra uma realidade que ninguém nunca imaginou para uma criança, muito menos para uma como Oliver Twist. Esse filme transpira emoção e drama, não um tipo enjoativo de drama, mas algo que se quer saber mais, procurar sobre a história, ler o livro. É uma pena que o livro deixe a desejar, neste caso.
Jul 5, 2021
6
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, 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.
Feb 2, 2013
6
A movie greatly exaggerated, pessimistic and dramatic. But it's a good movie and very cultured.
Apr 22, 2025
5
A well-made film and quite faithful to the novel of the same name. An appreciable and well-told story in this film too.
Jul 29, 2023
4
A very badly directed, miscast, poor take of the **** classic. Watch David Lean's 1948 masterpiece for the greatest adaptation of Oliver Twist.
Production Company:
- R.P. Productions
- Runteam II Ltd.
- ETIC Films
- TriStar Pictures
Release Date:Sep 23, 2005
Duration:2 h 10 m
Rating:PG-13
Awards
Young Artist Awards
• 2 Nominations
Sannio FilmFest
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Hollywood Film Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
