Caine and Headey Chew the Dickens out of Twist

Lena Headey and Michael Caine turn in expected magnetic performances in this modern day loose adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, Twist.

In this version, the titular Oliver Twist (Rafferty Law) is a young adult, not a mere street urchin, who is living homeless and known for his large-scale grafitti art, which ends up in places most people would consider impossible to get to. His chance encounter with Red (Sophie Simnett) brings him to the attention of Fagin (Michael Caine), the leader of a ragtag group of apprentice con artists who are looking to set up an art dealer for a big heist, partly for the money and partly for revenge. Complicating matters emotionally for Oliver is the presence of the malevolent Sikes (Lena Headey), who has a dominant relationship with Red that interferes with her and Oliver hooking up. 

What sets Twist apart from other con films is not the complexity of the heist, but the way that so many attempts go so wrong. This isn't a flawless plan, executed to smooth perfection, but a very detailed plan that gets tripped up by one unforeseen circumstance after another. Nevertheless, the team persists in acquiring the artwork they seek -- or do they? Ah, there's the "twist" that this film is built around. And while it may not all make sense on first watch, Headey's intensitiy and Caine's charm make this film worth the effort to view.

Twist also features Franz Drameh (DC's Legends of Tomorrow) as Batesy and Rita Ora as Dodge. It's not the version of Oliver Twist you should base your term paper on, but if you're familiar with the original you will get better enjoyment from the film.