Mr. Jones

Holodomor. Holocaust. Director Agnieszka Holland presents the brutal story of Welsh journalist Gareth Jones' discovery of the genocidal 1933 famine imposed by Stalin on the people of Ukraine, and of how the dissipated Walter Duranty, the New York Times' "man in Moscow" ensured that the truth was suppressed. Everyone knows about the Holocaust. Few know about the Holodomor, which killed at least 3.5 million in just one winter. This is a hard-hitting film. We slowly come to the truth as Jones does, and wonder whether it will ever be told. Unfortunately, the scenes of debauchery in Duranty's apartment stay on screen too long, which may deter some from recommending it to others to avoid giving scandal. I hope the director might recut this section to convey collaborationist Duranty's luxurious bubble, but without detracting from the purpose of this important film. One wonders whether many past attempts to make this film have perhaps been thwarted. It is evident that Polish and Ukrainian resources were prominent in its production. Highly recommended, with that one qualification about the excessive screen time in Duranty's apartment.

It's a pretty jarring account of how the Holodomor came to be public knowledge in the western world. I found it a very interesting film, and thought that the performance of Vanessa Kirby was quite good.

A bloated, passionless mess filled with atrocious direction and flat performances, and an insult to its (supposed) subject.