May I please have some more, Polanski?

Sure there are a handful of "Oliver Twist" films already in existence, and this recent version merely serves to demonstrate Hollywood's present obsession with remakes of other remakes. But this version of Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist" has something that puts it over the top that the others did not have: director Roman Polanski. \nPolanski completely immerses the viewer in the world of Dickens with his brilliant use of old English set design, costumes and especially the characters' accents. To top things off, Polanski has assembled the perfect troupe of actors highlighted by Ben Kingsley as Fagin, the leader of a group of pickpocket children. Newcomer Barney Clark also delivers a wonderful performance as the film's title character. \nMost have heard the classic story of Oliver Twist: A ten-year-old orphan is taken to a workhouse where young boys are forced to do grueling work for little compensation. Hungry boy utters famous line, "Can I please have some more, sir?" at which point he is hauled off to do slave work for a family. After being maltreated, he escapes and is lured into a world of young thieves led by the notorious old man Fagin. He is wrongfully caught for a crime he did not commit but is spared by one of the only men who has ever shown him kindness. The plot soon thickens when Oliver's new high-class world encounters his old crime syndicate, and double crossing and murder ensue. \nFor the most part the film follows Dickens' novel, with one major exception. In the novel, Fagin is an unkind and evil man. However, in Polanski's film Fagin is more sympathetic. Rather than being a cruel ruler over his young thieves, they struggle to survive together and help each other in the process. An orphan like Oliver, Polanski seems confident in making minor alterations to the story. One of the most meaningful lines in this movie is not in the original book.\n"Oliver Twist" was one of Charles Dickens' earlier novels and is quite autobiographical in nature. At a very young age, Dickens himself was forced to live in a workhouse under meager conditions. In this sense, both Polanski and Dickens share much in common with the fictional Oliver, and perhaps this is why Polanski was able to create such a brilliant version of the classic tale. Ultimately, this film version of "Oliver Twist" easily stands far above its predecessors.