This retelling of the tale of Oliver Twist, the Charles Dickens classic, is a more than worthy rendition. The young Oliver Twist (Barney Clark) is an English orphan placed in one bad situation of servitude after another. Eventually he runs away and walks 70 miles to London to improve his daily living and lot in life. Although he is desperate for food and clothing, Oliver is virtually ignored by those that could help him. He’s just another dirty faced, beggar of a child on the fetid streets.

But a young pickpocket called The Artful Dodger (Harry Eden) befriends Oliver and invites him to the hovel where he lives with other children who make their living by stealing on the streets of London. Their leader is Fagin (the usually elegant and eloquent Ben Kingsley), a shriveled and bent old lump of a man who manages these children in their activities.

While out with Dodger, Oliver is falsely accused of a crime but is exonerated at the last minute. The victim, Mr. Brownlow (Edward Hardwicke) takes Oliver into his home and for the first time in his life Oliver eats good meals, dresses in fine clothes and has his own bedroom; he is treated with basic human respect. Fagin and his grimy partner Bill Sykes (Jamie Foreman) are concerned that Oliver will reveal where they are holed up and who runs the theft ring. The solution is to kidnap Oliver and arrange for an accidental drowning. Bill’s lover Nancy (Leanne Rowe) is a woman of conscience who, though she has an unsavory past, decides to intercede on Oliver’s behalf, with dire consequences for her. Of course, in the end those that deserve an ill ending get their due.

This beautifully photographed and well-acted film is a fitting follow up (though a departure) to director Roman Polanski’s Academy Award winning film "The Pianist." Jamie Foreman is one of the better villains you’ll see in any film. Surprisingly the film has a major piece missing even though it’s longer than the classic 1948 version by David Lean, which stars Alec Guinness. The 1948 film provides some history about Oliver’s pregnant mother, his birth and his earlier childhood years. We would have preferred that was included because it tells a more complete story.

The film does have disturbing images, but more than that, it causes disturbing feelings from the viewpoint of the abandonment of a young boy when the leaders of society say the right words but do the dirty deeds. Rats roam the streets as well, conjuring up images of the great plague that swept Europe and England a few centuries earlier.

A wonderful introduction to good storytelling (and perhaps even a trip to the library may be in order for youngsters) or an entertaining afternoon for those who’ve experienced "Oliver Twist" before, this film is a must see.