Strong and Moving!

Admirable film.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

OLIVER! is a strong contender for the title of best screen musical of the 1960s. It's a pitch-perfect adaptation of the famous Dickens novel with the addition of a number of wonderful songs which have expertly-written dialogue. The cast, many of whom transfer across from the stage version, are particularly strong here: Ron Moody delivers the best role of his career as the surprisingly likeable Fagin, while Jack Wild goes down in history as the irrepressible Artful Dodger. Oliver Reed graduates from his slimy Hammer days as an equally imposing villain and even Mark Lester comes across well as the likeable Twist. The production values are exemplary, the story is told at just the right pace, and this goes down in history as not just a fine musical but one of the best Dickens tales adapted for the screen.

Oliver! is a swell musical adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens novel. The film puts a darkest twist on the source material, but nonetheless it makes for an entertaining family film. The songs are done very well and everyone showed true musical talent. It is a film about the willingness of a boy to survive despite living in poverty and even being kidnapped by ruffians. In all, one of the underrated films of the 1960's. This film is about a boy named Oliver who runs away from the orphanage and decides to live with a bunch of boys who are trained as pickpockets by the villainous Fagin and Sikes. I thought the acting was fairly good. Mark Lester as Oliver did a good job , and is better than most child actors from that time period. Oliver Reed stole the show as the evil Sikes and Ron Moody likewise as Fagin. Finally, I think Jack Wild did a pretty good job as the Artful Dodger. Overall, Oliver! is a fine movie and a good musical adaptation of the classic Dickens novel, Oliver Twist. As a family movie, it works perfectly! The whole family can sit down and enjoy this tale about a boy who gets himself into trouble. The movie can be serious at time, but there are some funny moments to be had thanks to the bumbleness of Fagin. A rather good source for family entertainment. My Grade: A-

The 1960s was the last great decade for movie musicals. Although Chicago broke the streak, Oliver! was the last classic musical to win Best Picture. It's in good company, West Side Story, My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music are excellent films, but Oliver! is certainly the lesser of the four. Naturally, like most films of the like, it's bloated more than it's worth, touching 2 and a half hours. It results in far too many moments where the songs slow the pacing rather than progress the story, though they at least take it further a little. Fortunately most of them are catchy and familiar and it's certainly helped by bigger chorus lines, elaborate sets and calculated choreography. Obviously with a bleak tone like this, it's not necessarily always a joy.However, its biggest problem is the lead. The Oliver Twist here is whiny and wooden, having none of the energy that the radiant and wonderful Ron Moody and Jack Wild bring to the table, who deserved way more screen time than they already had. They were theatrical, but well measured enough to suit cinema. Classic as it may be, its plot does tend to suffer and jump around too much and be quite contrived, but what lifted Oliver! above average is its affection for its characters, once they get settled anyway. Shani Willis' Nancy felt extraneous at first but she brought an essential sensitivity to the film and ended up one of the most charming characters. It's a hit and miss film and doesn't do anything extraordinary but it's enjoyable and moving enough for a please-all picture. Certainly not up to Carol Reed's 1940s standards anyway.7/10

Going to today's movies feels like attending a barbaric assault on ones senses. There's the foul rotten language, the pervasive sex (heter, bi, trans and homo), the messages that 1) all humans are evil 2) the human condition is one of desperation and 3) the means justify the end. Oliver! transcends all of this with superb acting, script, direction and production. Oliver! is a masterpiece that will never die because its the epitome of quality. I went on line after seeing Oliver! and bought the Blu Ray disc off Amazon. It will now take a prominent position in my DVD collection. Thank you actors, directors, writers and producers for bringing the viewing public a reminder of how good movies can truly be, even when its this rare.