Word: fagin
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...having problems: most of the younger actors don’t quite fit, from the portrayal of the mean Noah Claypole to the clever Artful Dodger. Luckily for the audience, the narrative emphasis is taken off Oliver and the other children in favor of more complex characters like Fagin (Ben Kingsley), the leader of the pickpocket gang...
...third and final reason to put up the money to see the film in theaters rather than on DVD lies in Kingsley’s absolutely remarkable portrayal as Fagin. There really is nothing like going to the theater to see a performance like his, where the collective audience is able to be overwhelmed by the grandeur of image, size, and character...
Words barely suffice to impart the subtlety and complexity that Kingsley puts into the role, from his affecting gaze to his deep nasal breathing. Instead of feeling like it’s just another actor performing a worn-out role, like Clark as Oliver, we believe Kingsley to be Fagin, straight from Dickens’ page. The majority of the time he’s filmed in close-up, his exaggeratedly ugly features filling the frame and initially startling the audience...
Still, there’s something about Kingsley’s Fagin that’s entirely accessible. Compared to the villainous Bill Sykes, he’ll only idly threaten the youngsters who work so hard for him, without the capacity for any real violence. He’s obsessed with treasure, yet he understands that the “greatest sin is ingratitude.” He’s misunderstood, seen as a villain by most, but at heart a decent...
Police believe that some of the new roving packs may be directed by Fagin-style adults. They are looking into the possibility that one or two masterminds are behind as many as 60 jewelry-store robberies in Washington, Arizona, California, Nevada and Oregon. In other cases, the gangs strike a bit closer to home, acting on impulse. Says Commander Lorne Kramer of the Los Angeles Police Department: "They follow the money. Whoever's around will pile into cars and head off in search of victims...