Sunday, July 5, 2020

Mr. Jones: A man for all reasons

      
At once a story of the past and a tale for our times, Mr. Jones is one of those movies you fall in love with slowly. At least, the Movie Slut did.

 It stars James Norton (Sidney Chambers in the PBS series Grantchester), and it belongs to her fave genre: journalism flicks. It's also a true story. All of which elevates Mr. Jones to the absolutely must-see category even though Amazon charged an extra $6 for the privilege.

Gareth Jones was a young Welch journalist who interviewed Hitler in the early 1930s and was mocked for his prescient reports of impending disaster. We catch up with him as he finagles a trip to Russia to interview Stalin. He never lands an interview with the Communist Party leader, but comes away with eye-opening news for a world blinded by propaganda.

No, the Movie Slut won't give any more away, but will say that his discovery is an often overlooked chapter in the dark history of the Soviet Union.

"There is only one truth," Gareth tells a fellow journalist.

The Movie Slut plans to see Mr. Jones again. Just to hear that line.