A Modern take on the classic tale of Oliver Twist.
Director: Martin Owen
Writers: John WrathallSally CollettMatthew Parkhill
Stars: Dominic Di TommasoLena HeadeySamuel Leakey
IMDB Rating: 4.0
Michael Caine portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge brilliantly in the 1992 family picture The Muppet Christmas Carol. Still, now the 2 Oscar winner plays Fagen in Twist, the newest (unnecessary) modern rendition of CharlesReview Dickens’s classic novel Oliver Twist.
Twist (Raff Law, Jude Law’s son) is a skilled graffiti street artist and freerunner in the 2021 action drama.
Twist joins a group of street hustlers who work for an ex-art dealer named Fagen after being chased out of his favourite museum because he was harassing the cops for fun (Caine).
He’s hesitant to trust Fagen’s merry gang of outlaws at first, but he quickly forgets about his reservations after falling in love with Red (Sophie Simnett, Daybreak), another freerunner and the girlfriend of Fagen’s right-hand man, Sikes (Lena Headey, Game of Thrones).
Twist accepts Fagen’s offer to join his team since he doesn’t have many other options and because Red encourages him to do so. He is soon ready to assist Fagen in a significant art robbery against Losberne, Fagen’s old partner and current nemesis (David Walliams, Murder Mystery).
The twist is a dreadful, silly, and insipid contemporary rendition of the original Dickens storey. It’s dull and lifeless. Except for an unoriginal heist-by-numbers subplot, it contributes nothing new to the plot.
The performances, especially Caine’s, are one-dimensional and forgettable.
With the quick shots of London and the cutting of the chase scenes and the heist, director Martin Owen (Killers Anonymous) appears to be trying to emulate Guy Ritchie’s early manner of filmmaking – all of which look and feel like a bad copycat.
The twist is not only a missed opportunity but an insult and perversion of Dickens’ great tale, with terrible dialogue, unoriginal directing, and uninspired performances.
