Oliver Twist

Oliver's story has never appealed to me, and Polanski's vision of it sent it even lower in my eyes. I have nothing against sad adventures of unfortunate orphans, but the exaggerated focus on uninteresting ordinary episodes and the parade of unsympathetic characters simply do not captivate me to the film. (17.12.2005)

The beautiful production design and excellent work with lighting unfortunately are marred by a boring and sterile direction. As usual, Roman Polanski fails to manage the pace of the film, and the whole thing is mostly flat, without any dynamics or turning point. Ben Kingsley is unrecognizable, and if it wasn't for the end credits, I wouldn't even know it was him. The male lead is ordinary and completely unremarkable, just like the whole story, and the characters are distant and uninteresting. I haven't read the book, but the film cannot possibly be worse. I expected Polanski to bore me (almost a rule), but I expected certain qualities from the film. Unfortunately, there is almost nothing, a boring and sterile tale with absolutely no chance. (18.05.2006)

For the second time, I feel that Roman Polanski has made an excellent film. For the second time, I feel that something is missing from the film. The first film that left me unsure was "Carnage". Polanski handled it masterfully, there is nothing to criticize about the directing, but I feel like he just transferred what worked well on stage onto the screen. His personal contribution did not seem so significant. It is the same with "Oliver Twist", which, by the way, was also filmed in Prague. The source material is world-famous and well-known. Polanski perfectly captured the era, the dirt of London, but that is exactly the feeling one gets from the novel. Once again, it seems to me that Polanski's contribution is not so great. It is as if it is not a film with an author's signature, but simply an excellent adaptation of a classic into the film genre. "Oliver Twist" lacks nothing, but it also does not have anything surplus. The main character is exactly as we expect him to be. He is a dirty rascal, but when he cleans up, he is adorable. He is not a boy that the viewer should hate, but rather the type that one can like. Ben Kingsley is not at all a typical villain here, but rather a sad character, which only emphasizes the conclusion of the entire film. He is not kind, he is not pleasant, although there is hope, it is not for everyone. But this is something that the book itself also gives to a person. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/09/jeden-den-jak-porodit-oliver-twist-wall.html (28.02.2013)