Oliver Twist

A version by someone whose childhood was as terribly threatened as that of Dickens' young hero. A persuasive evocation of a squalid, rotten world as seen through the eyes of a vulnerable innocent, the film boasts fine performances that underline the persistent presence of corruption and deadly danger, none more so than Kingsley, whose superb contribution to the iconography of Fagin serves to create a truly affecting climax in the jailhouse reunion with Oliver. And at last Toby Crackit is given his due by Mark Strong.