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Twist

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Twist (2004)

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Reviews Counted:31

Fresh:5

Rotten:26

Average Rating:4.4/10

Consensus: Despite of its contemporary setting and some strong performances, this is a bland retelling of Oliver Twist.

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: TWIST is a calmly lucid re-telling of Charles Dickens` classic Oliver Twist, updated to current times and moved out of the poor house and onto the streets of Toronto. Told from the point of view of... TWIST is a calmly lucid re-telling of Charles Dickens` classic Oliver Twist, updated to current times and moved out of the poor house and onto the streets of Toronto. Told from the point of view of The Artful Dodger (Dodge), TWIST is no longer a tale of the misfortunes of boys, but rather about the prosaically beautiful Oliver who falls into the hands of down-and-out young men. Dodge takes the young man under his wing and instructs him in the unforgiving arts of drug abuse and prostitution. As Oliver`s innocence dissolves, both young men confront inner and outer demons and, strangely, it is Dodge who finds he cannot escape his past. Faithful to the tragedy on which it is based, TWIST is about the creation of evil and the cyclical nature of violence that can keep even the bravest among us tangled in its web. Actor-turned-director/writer Jacob Tierney (The Neon Bible, This Is My Father), elicits exquisitely subtle performances from an ensemble cast featuring Nick Stahl (In the Bedroom, Terminator 3) and newcomer Joshua Close as the almost angelic Oliver. Although faithful to the social reformist impulse at the heart of Dickens` writing, TWIST translates the novel`s sorrow and fierce poignancy into starkly composed, beautifully cold images that will resonate with contemporary audiences. The film was a selection in both the Toronto International Film Festival and the Venice International Film Festival. -- © Strand Releasing [More]

Starring: Nick Stahl, Joshua Close, Gary Farmer, Stephen McHattie

Starring: Nick Stahl, Joshua Close, Gary Farmer, Stephen McHattie, Michele-Barbara Pelletier

Director: Jacob Tierney

Director: Jacob Tierney
Screenwriter: Jacob Tierney
Studio: Strand Releasing

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Twist

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
07/24/08
David Stratton
David Stratton
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/07/04
Don Willmott
Don Willmott
Filmcritic.com

My memory may be a little vague on this one, but I don’t recall any incest scenes in the original Oliver Twist

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/04/04
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

This would make Dickens suicidal, probably in more than one way.

Full Review Source: Planet Sick-Boy | comment Comment
10/19/04
Jon Popick
Jon Popick
Planet Sick-Boy

One of the glummest recent attempts to drag a classic story into the 21st century.

Full Review Source: Seattle Times | comment Comment
09/03/04
John Hartl
John Hartl
Seattle Times
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
09/03/04
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

A surprisingly deep, dramatic twist on an old melodrama.

Full Review Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel | comment Comment
08/19/04
Laura Kelly
Laura Kelly
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

A joyless series of shooting-up scenes.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
08/08/04
David Noh
David Noh
Film Journal International

Unrelenting in its tragedy, this movie should come with a major bummer warning or something to help you recover from the haunting images. The story is a little thin at times.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
08/06/04
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

The only thing funny about Twist is how seriously it takes its own pompous preposterousness.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
08/05/04
Tom Maurstad
Tom Maurstad
Dallas Morning News

Isn't without interest, but overall it's more an earnest attempt than a successful accomplishmrent.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
08/04/04
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

The movie's far too stagy and pretentious.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
07/30/04
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post

Cuaron ran into trouble by being overly faithful to Dickens' story, changing almost nothing except the setting.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
07/23/04
Ruthe Stein
Ruthe Stein
San Francisco Chronicle

There's nothing here a handful of show-stopping production numbers--or a good steam cleaning--couldn't fix.

Full Review Source: Movie Boeuf | comment Comment
07/16/04
David N. Butterworth
David N. Butterworth
Movie Boeuf

Apart from the somewhat novel conceit of turning Dickens into the stuff of a Gus Van Sant picture (see My Own Private Idaho), there's nothing original, nor compelling, about Twist.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
07/08/04
Steven Rea
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer

Ultimately more unsavory than enlightening, and would have benefited from a more humorous approach to its purloined themes.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
06/22/04
Frank Scheck
Frank Scheck
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

transforming the ending into a more realistic outcome doesn't make this provocative arthouse fare

Full Review Source: ToxicUniverse.com | comment Comment
06/18/04
John A. Nesbit
John A. Nesbit
ToxicUniverse.com

Exceptional performances and effective raw moments, but too sordid for enjoyment.

Full Review Source: Sympatico.ca | comment Comment
06/07/04
Angela Baldassarre
Angela Baldassarre
Sympatico.ca

Not much happens in Twist, apart from a dismal series of personal degradations, each more depressing than the last.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
06/04/04
Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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