70
Los Angeles Times by Carina Chocano
Polanski's version, though handsomely realized, is a fairly conventional rendering of the novel that probably won't be counted among his best films.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
80
The New York Times by Dana Stevens
With tact and enthusiasm, Mr. Polanski grabs hold of a great book and rediscovers its true and enduring vitality.
40
Lacking energy and pace and enslaved by a ghastly score, this tepid movie left me longing alternately for David Lean's thrillingly grim 1948 masterpiece, and Carol Reed's chipper 1968 sing-along, with pretty tunes by Lionel Bart.
70
Village Voice by Jessica Winter
Accomplished if lacking in urgency, this Oliver Twist (scripted by Ronald Harwood, who also wrote "The Pianist") showcases Polanski's proven gift for Dickensian caricature.
60
The Hollywood Reporter by Kirk Honeycutt
The biggest surprise in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist is that there are no surprises.
83
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
Yet precisely because this is by Roman Polanski, it's irresistible to read his sorrowful and seemingly classical take, from a filmmaker known as much for the schisms in his personal history as for the lurches in his work, as something much more personal and poignant.
100
Christian Science Monitor by Peter Rainer
Altogether remarkable, a near-masterpiece.
50
Rolling Stone by Peter Travers
It's unlikely audiences will be echoing a starving Oliver's most famous line: "Please, sir, I want some more."
40
Handsomely produced but emotionally inert offering.
70
A respectable literary adaptation but lacks dramatic urgency and intriguing undercurrents.