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Review: Oliver! is the musical version of the Dickens tale about an orphan on his own in Olde England. Oliver is born in a miserable workhouse and eventually taken in by an old thief and his merry band of boys who train him to be a pick-pocket. He meets some memorable characters along the way: Ron Moody plays the infamous Fagin, the leader of the thieves, with sinister delight. Jack Wild (the Artful Dodger) steals all his scenes with his talent and charm. Mark Lester, as Oliver, is a little wooden but looks the part and is appealing. Oliver Reed plays nasty Bill Sikes, the villain, and is convincingly repellant. Shani Wallis is his girlfriend, Nancy, the street girl with a heart of gold. Lionel Bart's music for Oliver! is absolutely enchanting. Each song is memorable and the big production numbers are a joy to behold. As the Artful Dodger welcomes Oliver to London with "Consider Yourself," and the street vendors sing the beautiful, "Who Will Buy?", you are swept away into a magical world. "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two" and "Reviewing the Situation" are Fagin's comic numbers that make you like him in spite of himself. Oliver! won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1968. I heartily recommend it for the whole family. |
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