Oliver Twist

Details

An adaptation of the classic Dicken's tale from Oscar winning director Roman Polanski, Oliver Twist is a brilliantly constructed family delight that is a real treat for February half term. Starring Sir Ben Kingsley as Fagin, the new talent of Barney Clarke as Oliver, and Harry Eden as The Artful Dodger, this is a stunning remake of a well loved story that the whole family will enjoy, released by Pathé Distribution Limited on February 13th 2006.

Oliver Twist (Clarke, Foyles War) is a young orphan boy who comes to 19th century London to search for a new home and life. Penniless and alone, Oliver arrives, looking for a better life and a family to care for him. Not knowing what to expect or where to go, and naive of life in London's seedy underworld, he becomes involved with a gang of pick-pockets. The gang are led by the light fingered Artful Dodger (Harry Eden, Bleak House) and run by sinister thief Fagin (Ben Kingsley, Moses) and the cruel and dangerous Bill Sykes (Jamie Foreman, Layercake). Oliver soon becomes embroiled in their shady world, prowling the streets with the other orphans in the gang and acquiring the skill of picking the pockets of the local gentlemen.

When some of the gang embark on a new job, Oliver follows them to find out the true nature of their business. However, when the job goes wrong, Oliver finds himself mistakenly believed to be the culprit. Chased through the streets, Oliver is caught and bought in front of the local magistrate. Taking pity on the poor orphan boy he sees in court, Mr Brownlow (Edward Hardwicke, Love Actually, David Copperfield), a local gent whom the boys were trying to rob, takes it upon himself to become Oliver's benefactor, educate him and turn him into a young master.

Fagin and Bill Sykes however, are concerned that Oliver will betray them to the authorities and they are determined to track him down and bring him back to Fagin's lair which has catastrophic consequences for Oliver.

With exclusive DVD special features including a making of featurette, Barney Clarke's filming diary and behind the scenes footage of a tale that is exuberant, intriguing and timeless, Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist is this year's family classic must have DVD.