Search - Boy Called Twist on DVD

A Very Interesting Spin On The Classic Dickens Tale!!

MUZIK4THAPEOPLE!! | Orlando, FL | 04/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This film is an indie by a south african director and producer

which is a very good modern spin on the classic "Oliver Twist".

Your heart goes out to the young middle eastern-looking boy who plays

"Twist" and all he has to endure. The screenplay borrows heavily from

Charles Dickens original timeless tale but puts a modern urban

spin on it that doesn't leave you cold.

All-n-All, I enjoyed this film and recommend it."

TWIST an excellent adaptation of the Dickens Classic!

Hazen B Markoe | St. Paul, MN United States | 03/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Filmed in South Africa in 2004 and released the following year, BOY CALLED TWIST is a unique and modern take on "Oliver Twist," the classic Charles Dickens novel of a young orphan's search for love. Of course, we all know the story: a young orphan (Jarrid Geduld) escapes the cruelty of the orphanage, only to fall in with a gang of thieves led by the sinister Fagin (Leslie Fong). Feeling sorry for him, the kind hearted prostitute, Nancy (Kim Engelbrecht), will help the boy find his loving family, at the cost of her own life at the hands of her brutal lover, Bill Sykes (Bart Fouche). In an interesting twist (yes, the pun IS intended), director/screenwriter Tim Greene does a solid job of translating the Victorian story to modern day Cape Town. With the squalid streets contrasting with the middle-class neighborhoods of his native South Africa, Greene reminds us of the timeless quality of Dickens' powerful book. Using actual street kids as part of the cast, Greene succeeds in adding a gritty quality to this solid modernization. The cast is also solid, led by Geduld in the title role. Leslie Fong is both engaging and nasty as the dreadlocked Fagin, while the lovely Kim Engelbrecht continues the tradition of heartbreaking performances as Nancy. Bart Fouche is his surly best as the brutal Sykes. While this movie is unrated, I would probably give it an R rating due to the rough language and as well as some drug use and suggested sexuality. Otherwise, this is an excellent adaptation of the Dickens' classic and the best modernization attempt to date. This is definitely worth your time seeing!"