Jacob Tierney
Canada 2004 35mm 90min. english o.v.

Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist has been uprooted and turned upside down in this dark and poignant queer adaptation of the play. Set on the cold winter streets of Toronto, first-time filmmaker Jacob Tierney has turned the pickpockets into junkies and hustlers and Fagin into a pimp. And unlike the inevitable Dickens happy ending, Twist is no picnic. The cast is first-rate, the script and direction assured and the set suitably dark and dreary. Prepare for a rocky ride, there are no rousing musical numbers with boys lined up to get their gruel! Dodge (Nick Stahl, In the Bedroom, Bully) is an experienced hustler – he knows the streets and their dangers all too well. One night he picks up the sweet Oliver, a runaway whom he introduces to hustling and his way of life. Oliver has an immediate crush on Dodge, following him right into the hands of Fagin and his omnipresent boss, the much-feared Bill. Even though this "family" has its obvious share of problems, they seem a lot better than the series of foster homes Oliver comes from. With fine performances from the entire cast and a very tight script, Twist is a story about confronting the demons inside and out.