65
Metascore
36 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerAltogether remarkable, a near-masterpiece.
- 83Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumYet precisely because this is by Roman Polanski, it's irresistible to read his sorrowful and seemingly classical take, from a filmmaker known as much for the schisms in his personal history as for the lurches in his work, as something much more personal and poignant.
- 80The New York TimesDana StevensThe New York TimesDana StevensWith tact and enthusiasm, Mr. Polanski grabs hold of a great book and rediscovers its true and enduring vitality.
- 70VarietyTodd McCarthyVarietyTodd McCarthyA respectable literary adaptation but lacks dramatic urgency and intriguing undercurrents.
- 70Village VoiceJessica WinterVillage VoiceJessica WinterAccomplished if lacking in urgency, this Oliver Twist (scripted by Ronald Harwood, who also wrote "The Pianist") showcases Polanski's proven gift for Dickensian caricature.
- 70Los Angeles TimesCarina ChocanoLos Angeles TimesCarina ChocanoPolanski's version, though handsomely realized, is a fairly conventional rendering of the novel that probably won't be counted among his best films.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThe Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThe biggest surprise in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist is that there are no surprises.
- 50Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversIt's unlikely audiences will be echoing a starving Oliver's most famous line: "Please, sir, I want some more."
- 40Film ThreatPhil HallFilm ThreatPhil HallHandsomely produced but emotionally inert offering.
- 40L.A. WeeklyElla TaylorL.A. WeeklyElla TaylorLacking energy and pace and enslaved by a ghastly score, this tepid movie left me longing alternately for David Lean's thrillingly grim 1948 masterpiece, and Carol Reed's chipper 1968 sing-along, with pretty tunes by Lionel Bart.