(PG, 130 mins) Barney Clark, Ben Kingsley, Jamie Foreman, Harry Eden. Directed by Roman Polanski

Dickens' tale of a young orphan boy's adventures in 19th-Century London, ruled by vagabonds and thieves, is a literary classic.

Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski and screenwriter Ronald Harwood, who previously collaborated on The Pianist, reunite for this bold new version of Oliver Twist.

Oliver (Clark) is born in a workhouse and raised in poverty, under the cruel and tyrannical regime of Mr Bumble.

Eventually the youngster runs away to London and falls into the clutches of Fagin (Kingsley) and his gang of thieves, led by housebreaker Bill Sykes (Foreman), his mistress Nancy (Leanne Rowe) and cheeky pickpocket The Artful Dodger (Eden).

Shot in muted colours which verge on monochrome, Oliver Twist is a stylish (abbreviated) reworking, set in the forbidding alleyways of the mist-laden capital.

Director of photography Pawel Edelman beautifully evokes the squalor and gloom of 1830s London, recreated in meticulous detail by production designer Allan Starski and costume designer Anna Sheppard.

Clark is remarkably natural, bringing out the vulnerability of his protagonist, while Foreman essays another volatile bully. Eden captures the swagger and roguish charm of the pintsized thief and Kingsley is deliciously slippery.

Showing in cinemas across Sussex from 7th October