|
| • Advanced Search • Help |
Oliver! | Year: 1968 Classification: Musical Directed: - Carol Reed Actors/Actresses: - Ron Moody - Mark Lester Consider it a wonderful experience The movie musical was on its way out by the time 'Oliver!' hit theaters in 1968. Happily, this marvelously fun and entertaining film swept the Oscars and earns my vote for the best musical of the 60s (although 'The Music Man' ranks a close second). Mark Lester is adorable in the title role and Jack Wild is a kick as the mischievious Artful Dodger. Then there's Ron Moody recreating his stage role as the villainous (but still likable) Fagin. He's not exactly the same character created by Charles Dickens but he's memorable just the same. And Shani Wallis' Nancy along with Oliver Reed's Bill Sikes give the film some real dramatic punch. The production design strikingly recreates the feel and flavor of mid-19th century London. And the songs which include 'Consider Yourself' and 'Oom Pah Pah' are the icing on the cake. Do your family a great favor and add this timeless treat to your DVD collection. BEAUTIFULLY FILMED MUSICAL I first saw "Oliver" when I was eight at the State Theate in Woodland, California; I just finished watching it again on DVD and I still love it! Mark Lester was an inspired choice for Oliver, and his scenes are most affecting especially with Fagan and his gang.Nancy was played by the now-forgotten Shani Wallis and she's terrifically effective in her love scenes with Bill Sikes and her singing "It's a Fine Life" is a joy to behold. Ron Moody scores strong as Fagan; he's simply marvelous. Onna White did the amazing choreography and the songs are certainly well sung. The scene where Oliver awakes in Mayfair has a special quality to it: through the window, he watches below as the street vendors sing the haunting "Who Will Buy?" Oliver Reed is fine as Bill Sikes and the Artful Dodger is memorably played by Jack Wild. It won the AA for best picture of 1968 ; it's a shame we don't see more similar films in today's cinema. CONSIDER THIS ONE A WINNER - OSCAR WINNER, THAT IS! Carol Reed's "Oliver!" is the musical version of Dicken's Oliver Twist. It stars Mark Lester as the irrepressible street urchin, suckered into the lair of a vagabond by The Artful Dodger (Jack Wild) and forced into a life of crime by Fagin (Ron Moody). But when Oliver is salvaged from the slums by a benevolent philanthropist, Bill Sikes (Oliver Reed) decides to make a quick buck off of the trade. Shani Willis costars as Sikes' girlfriend, Nancy, who thwarts the kidnapping plot and pays for her betrayal with her life. This is a very stoic, stagy and rather dry musical that may capture the essence of Dickens in its settings characters and plot but seems totally out of touch with the effervescence of the traditional Hollywood musical. Even with such main staple songs as "Consider Yourself", "Boy For Sale" and "Food, Glorious Food", truly, the spoon full of sugar remains a bitter pill to swallow on this occasion. Columbia Tri-Star has made "Oliver" available in a startlingly good looking transfer. Colors are solid, rich, vibrant and bold. Contrast levels are exactly where they should be. Blacks are incredibly deep. Fine detail is fully realized. Only occasionally do age related artifacts betray the vintage of the film. The audio is 5.1 and wonderfully spread across all five channels of the sound field. There are no extras. This film is spread across two sides of a single disc. The break comes at the point of intermission. Buy Oliver at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Oliver Search with the Priority Search Engine on Oliver This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
|
