Charles Dickens' classic tale of lost children is given a gritty, inner city update in this film from Jacob Tierney. Nick Stahl plays Dodge, a heroin addicted street hustler, who befriends runaway Oliver, played by Joshua Close. Dodge lures the love-struck Oliver into a life of prostitution and crime, while rebuffing his clumsy attempts at seduction.
The boys work for the pimp, Fagin, who reports to the shadowy Bill, a source of terror to all of the characters, yet who is never actually seen in the movie. Although they are at the bottom of society's scale, escape from their lot is presented to them in very different fashions, although unlike in Oliver Twist, there is no happy ending for anyone in this film.
This is not a tidy package. A lot of questions remain unanswered at the end of this film. The writer/director trusts his audience to understand the numbing reality, that bad lives rarely end in good ways. The exact opposite message of that presented by the Dickens book.
Viewers who have read Oliver Twist will have a deeper understanding of the nuances of the story presented here. The scenes between Oliver and the Senator, and the scenes involving Bill might not make as much sense to a viewer unfamiliar with the Dickens story. Not to mention the somewhat comical scene where Oliver blurts out his life story in a seeming single breath, causing Dodge to question whether he was on something besides coffee.
The actors all turn in solid performances, particularly Close, who is flawless as Oliver. He plays the naive waif to perfection. Nick Stahl, who has never given anything less than an excellent effort in any film he's appeared in, again shines as Dodge. He delivers a believable, yet sympathetic, strung out whore. You almost wonder why he bothers waking up in the morning, his life is that miserable. The supporting cast is also superb, especially Gary Farmer as Fagin, who shows he actually has a heart when we least expect it and in the most shocking way.
The boys work for the pimp, Fagin, who reports to the shadowy Bill, a source of terror to all of the characters, yet who is never actually seen in the movie. Although they are at the bottom of society's scale, escape from their lot is presented to them in very different fashions, although unlike in Oliver Twist, there is no happy ending for anyone in this film.
This is not a tidy package. A lot of questions remain unanswered at the end of this film. The writer/director trusts his audience to understand the numbing reality, that bad lives rarely end in good ways. The exact opposite message of that presented by the Dickens book.
Viewers who have read Oliver Twist will have a deeper understanding of the nuances of the story presented here. The scenes between Oliver and the Senator, and the scenes involving Bill might not make as much sense to a viewer unfamiliar with the Dickens story. Not to mention the somewhat comical scene where Oliver blurts out his life story in a seeming single breath, causing Dodge to question whether he was on something besides coffee.
The actors all turn in solid performances, particularly Close, who is flawless as Oliver. He plays the naive waif to perfection. Nick Stahl, who has never given anything less than an excellent effort in any film he's appeared in, again shines as Dodge. He delivers a believable, yet sympathetic, strung out whore. You almost wonder why he bothers waking up in the morning, his life is that miserable. The supporting cast is also superb, especially Gary Farmer as Fagin, who shows he actually has a heart when we least expect it and in the most shocking way.