Escaping the workhouse to seek a better life in London, young Oliver Twist (Clark) is befriended by a pickpocket known as the Artful Dodger and introduced to a collective of young boys who are trained to steal for their enigmatic master Fagin (Kingsley). Reuniting with screenwriter Ronald Harwood (who scripted the Oscar-winning The Pianist for him), Roman Polanski approaches Charles Dickens' formidable classic with an earthiness not present in previous cinematic versions. With a host of finely observed performances (not least from Ben Kingsley as the iconic Fagin), painstaking authenticity in the set design and sumptuous cinematography, this is the essence of the novel that will entertain viewers of all ages!