Oliver Twist (2007)

Directed by: Coky Giedroyc | 180 minutes | drama | Actors: William Miller, Timothy Spall, Sophie Okonedo, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Tom Hardy, Adam Arnold, Ruby Bentall, Rob Brydon, Connor Catchpole, Paul Chahidi, Alfie Childs, Morven Christie, Nigel Cooke, Reece Dos-Santos, Louis Edleston Gregor Fisher, Edward Fox, Vincent Franklin, Mariah Gale, Adam Gillen, Michelle Gomez, Jordan Grehs, Callum Higgins, Peter Kirkham, Sarah Lancashire, Jordan Long, Helen Lymbery, Anna Massey, Oliver Murray, Jake Nightingale, Niall O’Mara , Anton Saunders, John Sessions, Edward Tudor-Pole, Nicola Walker, Callum Yeoman

“Oliver Twist” is one of Charles Dickens’ most famous stories. Millions have already read the book and many film adaptations, stage performances and even a musical have been produced. As is often the case with classic stories, they remain an inspiration for artists and storytellers to retell and to give the theme of the story their own twist. In addition, the status of the story ensures a large audience. In 2005 Roman Polanski shot a new big budget film about Oliver Twist and in 2007 the BBC produced a new television version of the orphan boy’s adventures. Called simply ‘Oliver Twist’, this TV series would give the story a modern and exciting dark edge, according to the BBC’s head of drama. A look at famous actors was opened up with Timothy Spall (“Harry Potter”, “Enchanted”) as Fagin, veteran Edward Fox (“A Bridge Too Far”, “Gandhi”, “Never Say Never Again”) as Mr. Brownlow and Sophie Okonedo (“Hotel Rwanda”) and Tom Hardy (“Band of Brothers”) as Nancy and Sikes.

The story is, of course, well known to everyone. It is not a classic for nothing. What matters is the imagination of the story and whether it can appeal to the viewer. And in general that is not the case with the ‘Twist’. Timothy Spall is a hypocritical, opportunistic Fagin desperately trying to cash in on Oliver’s connection to the wealthy Brownlow. Like the (seemingly) nasty characters he played in ‘Enchanted’ and ‘Sweeney Todd’, Spall seems cut out for the role again. Alongside Spall, Okonedo plays a touching Nancy, the thief with a good heart. The child actors (William Miller as Oliver Twist and Adam Arnold as The Artful Dodger) fit in well and although Tom Hardy seems just a bit too neat for the role of Sikes, he grows into his role in the later episodes.

Nice supporting roles are reserved for Gregor Fisher as Mr. Bumble and Sarah Lancashire as Mrs. corney. The series was shot in and around London and it shows. The locations are atmospheric and, as promised by the BBC’s head of drama, very dark in terms of lighting and atmosphere. The idea of ​​the slums of the poor as dark worlds full of dubious figures, which also speaks from the original book by Dickens, seems to take shape here. Remarkable is the trial of Fagin before a Christian court. Grace is given to him if he asks the Christian God. Fagin, however, refuses to renounce his faith. The anti-Semitic tendencies instilled in the original book on the character Fagin, who was portrayed as a sort of diabolical counterpart to Oliver’s goodness, gets a slightly more positive rating in the series. Though a race opportunist and a thief, the idea of ​​the pure (violent) malice is much more part of Sikes’ character. Anyway, this won’t matter to most viewers. They will enjoy a beautiful and atmospheric version of ‘Oliver Twist’ which, although not suitable for the smallest among us, will captivate the whole family.