kateruggles

I'm surprised that this adaptation of the Dickens classic has received so many negative reviews and that there are comparisons with the musical which is a whole different type of production. All the performances are very strong, although I think that the Artful Dodger could do with a few more acting lessons. I thought that Tom Hardy, Sophie Okonedo and Timothy Spall were particularly outstanding. Viewers seem to expect the characters to be fairly one-dimensional and stereotyped - just because Bill Sykes is a psychopath doesn't mean he has to yell all the time! I think that the director did a good job of portraying the harshness and grime of Victorian London and the cruelty and depravity of the era also. I don't want to see Dickens adaptations through a soft focus lens, this is what I want from a period piece. I do agree about the randomness of the music though.

I can't add much more to other comments but I remember first watching this on its first release at the age of 13. Whenever the penguin kept appearing my friend and I had to hit each other to prevent us from bursting. If we're talking favourite lines though, mine comes from the girl who changes in the telephone box. Gregory tries to cover her revealing clothing and she lets forth with "Gregory you're worse than my dad, and he's old, at least he's got an excuse for being a p**ck!" Cinematic gold!! And I'm with everyone else on the other performances, Dee Hepburn cool as cucumber and Andy and Charlie with their raging hormones, and the delightful Madeleine. The other great line, "If girls were meant to play football, they'd have their t**ts somewhere else." I'm laughing even now.