Mr. Jones
Mr. Jones

Movie spotlight

Mr. Jones

2019
Movie
119 min
English

In 1933, Welsh journalist Gareth Jones travels to Ukraine, where he experiences the horrors of a famine. Everywhere he goes he meets henchmen of the Soviet secret service who are determined to prevent news about the catastrophe from getting out. Stalin’s forced collectivisation of agriculture has resulted in misery and ruin—the policy is tantamount to mass murder.

Insights

IMDb5.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes65%
Metacritic52/100
Google Users70%
Director: Agnieszka HollandGenres: Biography, Drama, History, War

Plot Summary

In 1933, ambitious young Welsh journalist Gareth Jones travels to Moscow to uncover the truth behind the Soviet Union's agrarian utopia. He risks his life to expose the devastating famine gripping Ukraine, known as the Holodomor, a man-made catastrophe hidden from the world by the regime. Jones's courageous pursuit of truth puts him on a collision course with Stalin's government and his own newspaper, ultimately challenging the propaganda machine and revealing the horrific human cost of totalitarianism.

Critical Reception

Mr. Jones received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who generally praised its historical significance, compelling performances, and the importance of its subject matter. However, some found its pacing uneven or its narrative focus slightly diluted at times. Audiences were often moved by the film's portrayal of a suppressed historical event.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for shedding light on the forgotten Holodomor and its devastating impact.

  • James Norton's performance as the determined journalist was widely commended.

  • Some critics noted the film could have benefited from tighter pacing and a stronger thematic focus throughout.

Google audience: Google users generally found the film to be a powerful and important historical drama. Many appreciated the film's efforts to bring the Holodomor to public attention, with viewers often highlighting the moving and tragic nature of the story. Some discussions touched upon the film's historical accuracy and the effectiveness of its narrative in conveying the gravity of the events.

Awards & Accolades

Nominated for Best Film at the Gdynia Polish Film Festival.

Fun Fact

The film faced challenges in its early development, with its subject matter being sensitive and its historical narrative complex to adapt for the screen.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

James Norton delivers really quite well here as the journalist who stumbles upon and exposes one of the worst atrocities of Stalin's Soviet regime. Deep amidst the poverty-stricken Steppe, he gradually becomes aware that the dissolution of ...

SWITCH.

SWITCH.

A taut and stark thriller, one part espionage, one part survival, this is an extremely powerful true story, and one that has generally slipped under the radar. We are lucky that someone as talented as Agnieszka Holland took the helm of 'Mr ...