(expanded from comments)
It's fair to say I've been heavily into Dickens for the past year or so, having read multiple novels and devoured every extant cinematic and televised treatment of his works.
Even so, I passed on this one in the theaters. As a boxing afficionado I'm grown adept at seperating private foibles and public performances (any fan of a sport that imports its competitors wholesale from the most disadvantaged backgrounds available can't afford too many moral scruples about their behavior), but I draw the line at child rape (see footnote link).
But the wife rented, and so I watched.
It was something of a mixed bag...in spite of the oftentimes overheated melodrama of the original text, this retelling strikes a distant, analytic tone that is emphasized by the cinematographer's use of a cool palette in most scenes. The acting overall is servicable, but only Ben Kingsley as Fagin and the dog Bullseye turn in anything more than workmanlike performances. Bill Sikes in particular is a defanged shadow of the dreadful figure he strikes in the book (and in both David Lean's film version and the musical, where Oliver Reed gave him a dark hedonistic buzz).
But there are positives, the script being one. The dialoge is lifted word-for-word from the novel where appropriate, with all its period jargon attached. And while the actors in the main parts are a bit lackluster overall, those in the minor roles shine. It's also hard to fault the production design, which strikes a fine balance between underclass dirt and squalor and upper crust spit and polish.
Overall, a good watch. The David Lean original is still the one to own, but this was a fun diversion with a definite appeal to the lover of Dickens.
Searchable novel on-line
Critical response
Polanski the convicted pedophile rapist (and who would think I'd like something called "the conservative voice"?!? but in this case they're on the money)
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