Dickens' is known as an author who wanted to change society and make people aware of the problems the workingclass suffered in London at that time. He was especially concerned about children, but his intention was often ruined by the fact that Dickens couldn't help writing happy endings that badly fit his dark stories. This movie, an updated version of Dickens' classic "Oliver Twist" is a little like an effort to do the darkness in Dicken's stories justice. It's "Oliver Twist" but without the unnaturally happy ending.
Jacob Tierney has changed the story slightly to adjust it to our time. For example Fagin's boys are not pickpocketers but hustlers who work for the mysterious and dangerous Bill, never seen throughout the movie. Also, focus is more on The Artful Dodger, here called only Dodge, than on Oliver. The darkness in the human wreck that is Dodge is nicely explored. You kind of get the picture of what happened to him for him to become the person he is, and you do understand from the beginning that he will probably go down on the streets due to the life he is living. Still, you hope until the very end that the happy ending Dickens provided will somewhere be present here too. But you still knew all along: there are no happy endings in real life. In real life, a homeless orphan does not by mistake find his rich relatives who gladly take him in. In real life, the Oliver Twists out there on the streets live and die the life of a homeless junkiewhore. In real life, the Dodges of the world crumble under the haunting memories of a painful childhood.
This is a great but dark and sad movie. The actors are all fantastic, especially Michèle-Barbara Pelletier as Bill's wife Nancy and Nick Stahl as Dodge. I watched "Twist" partially because it sounded like a good movie, but mainly because I admire Nick Stahl so much. Here he gives a great performance of a young man literally going under before your eyes.
***SPOILERS**** There is especially one scene that is extremely hard to watch. Dodge's older brother comes looking for him, and it's hard to really understand his motives. You understand that Dodge ran away, probably because he was sexually abused by their father, and blames his brother for not interveining. His brother is sort of looking for forgiveness, but then turns cold and harsh, saying he made the right decision, trying to secure a good future for himself and therefore having to let Dodge down. He says he will get married, get his masters and live a happy life with kids and everything he wants. Dodge on the other hand "will probably lay face down on a street having OD'd". He knows Dodge is hustling, and after having promised him 400$ to help suddenly says "Show me what you do". Dodge doesn't understand at first, but when it hits him he can't believe it. "Why are you doing this to me?" he asks and cries desperatly. The scene is gutwrenching as Dodge's older brother forces him to give him a blow job to get the money, and Dodge has no choice but to do it, because if he comes home without money again, Bill will kill him. A scene that will go down in moviehistory, at least in my book. ***SPOILERS OVER*****
Anyway, it's a superb movie, with a dark and frustrating ending. You know this is how it is in real life, but you can't help hoping there is a happy Dickens ending for some streetkid out there, somewhere, sometime.
Jacob Tierney has changed the story slightly to adjust it to our time. For example Fagin's boys are not pickpocketers but hustlers who work for the mysterious and dangerous Bill, never seen throughout the movie. Also, focus is more on The Artful Dodger, here called only Dodge, than on Oliver. The darkness in the human wreck that is Dodge is nicely explored. You kind of get the picture of what happened to him for him to become the person he is, and you do understand from the beginning that he will probably go down on the streets due to the life he is living. Still, you hope until the very end that the happy ending Dickens provided will somewhere be present here too. But you still knew all along: there are no happy endings in real life. In real life, a homeless orphan does not by mistake find his rich relatives who gladly take him in. In real life, the Oliver Twists out there on the streets live and die the life of a homeless junkiewhore. In real life, the Dodges of the world crumble under the haunting memories of a painful childhood.
This is a great but dark and sad movie. The actors are all fantastic, especially Michèle-Barbara Pelletier as Bill's wife Nancy and Nick Stahl as Dodge. I watched "Twist" partially because it sounded like a good movie, but mainly because I admire Nick Stahl so much. Here he gives a great performance of a young man literally going under before your eyes.
***SPOILERS**** There is especially one scene that is extremely hard to watch. Dodge's older brother comes looking for him, and it's hard to really understand his motives. You understand that Dodge ran away, probably because he was sexually abused by their father, and blames his brother for not interveining. His brother is sort of looking for forgiveness, but then turns cold and harsh, saying he made the right decision, trying to secure a good future for himself and therefore having to let Dodge down. He says he will get married, get his masters and live a happy life with kids and everything he wants. Dodge on the other hand "will probably lay face down on a street having OD'd". He knows Dodge is hustling, and after having promised him 400$ to help suddenly says "Show me what you do". Dodge doesn't understand at first, but when it hits him he can't believe it. "Why are you doing this to me?" he asks and cries desperatly. The scene is gutwrenching as Dodge's older brother forces him to give him a blow job to get the money, and Dodge has no choice but to do it, because if he comes home without money again, Bill will kill him. A scene that will go down in moviehistory, at least in my book. ***SPOILERS OVER*****
Anyway, it's a superb movie, with a dark and frustrating ending. You know this is how it is in real life, but you can't help hoping there is a happy Dickens ending for some streetkid out there, somewhere, sometime.