Oliver!

 

Oliver! 1968

• Director:  Carol Reed
• Cast: Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed, Jack Wild·        
• Why? A musical
• Seen: Once before. Now 14 May 2026    

       This is not a musical I know well, only having seen it once before. The reviews are mostly glowing and it won an Oscar for Best Film.

       If I remember correctly I wasn’t that impressed.

       So far, only Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger has any charisma and his ‘Consider Yourself’, the only catchy tune, and then ‘Anything’ together with Nancy (Wallis) and the altogether too sweet Oliver (Lester) and hammy Fagin (Moody).

       Actually most of them are hammy, even the usually wonderful Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes. The songs are mostly mediocre and go on far too long. Oliver has a weak and reedy voice.

       Nancy singing ‘As Long As He Needs Me’ after being beaten by her lover Bill loses the film another *.        

2 /2* of 5