Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Beautiful, moving film.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

Mostly the reviews on IMDb can be relied on, but sometimes they just make no sense. Over upwards of a decade and many hundreds of visits I can recall no starker illustration than the truly unbelievable 6.8 given to Tom Jones. It is, simply, a masterpiece.A brilliant story at the heart of it, of course, but brought to life with fantastic, innovative direction, including affectionate nods to the silents, extraordinary action sequences, unsurpassed breaches of the fourth wall ("Did you see her take it?"), uncommon acknowledgements of some of the grimmer realities of the era, and tour de force performances from the entire cast (who clearly relished every minute), centred of course on the sublime Albert Finney - one of the greats, never better - and the heart-stoppingly gorgeous Susannah York. Tom Jones is one of the ultimate explorations and illustrations of the full potential of the medium: movies don't get better than this. Anyone who contributed to that risible score should hang their head in shame. Anyone else, watch Tom Jones. Then watch it again. And again.

In eighteenth century England, "first cousins" Tom Jones (Albert Finney) and Master Blifil grew up together in privilege in the western countryside, but could not be more different in nature.This is a truly odd film. It could be a straight drama, but instead has a humor that is reminiscent of the works of Beaumarchais. Was the original novel this humorous? I have my doubts, but perhaps so. Even from the very beginning, we have a silent film gag that is more appropriate in a Mel Brooks movie.Strangely, today the words "Tom Jones" are never used to refer to the novel or the movie, but to the singer. His name is Thomas Jones Woodward, so whether or not he took his name from the book or just thought it sounded better than "Tom Woodward", I have no idea.

I managed to get into the theatre to see "Tom Jones" when I was a tender 16-year-old (the film got an "R" rating in Ontario). It was and remains at the zenith of my movie-going experiences. The theatre was packed and the reaction of the audience to the movie gives new meaning to the words "guffawing" and "rolling in the aisles" and "rollicking"."Tom Jones" came out at the height of the British New Wave. It eschews impeccably grand and fussy shots of stately mansions and serene crowds in favour of wildness and chaos. It plunks the camera in the mud with the pigs, plays peek-a-boo with the ladies' bosoms (the elderly Dame Edith Evans, thwacking the hogs with her parasol, her own breasts seemingly in danger of popping out of her bodice, is a sight to behold!), and completely thwarts our expectations of how a period piece should play. Masterpiece Theatre this is not. I doubt that Tony Richardson ever made a better - or more robust - movie.Yet, in spite of its satirical bent, there's not a mean bone in its body. It displays the ugliness, dangers and unfairness of the society it's portraying (I noticed, at the time, that British cinema was largely about class), but "Tom Jones" won my heart because it does so much more. It's full of joy, hope and optimism, and it's a celebration of love, life and youth. It makes me feel young again.

After a wonderful 'silent movie' prologue in which the 18th Century Squire of Western England accepts custody of an illegitimate baby boy--"born to be hanged"--this hoked-up variation on Henry Fiedling's novel moves in fit and starts, the product of a poor direction which was then aided by feverish editing. Albert Finney's Tom falls for the Squire's comely daughter (a pensively ravishing Susannah York) but is prevented from marrying her due to his questionable heritage; he hits the road after his beloved is promised to another man, becoming involved in sword-fights, infidelities, and assorted promiscuities. Certain set-pieces (a rowdy, savage deer hunt, a seduction/dinner sequence at the inn, a courtship amongst the blossoms) have become legendary--and for good reason. The picture is smashing to look at (as photographed by Walter Lassally), though the movie-narrative is squashy and the character of Tom Jones is a bit of a sod (Finney brings charisma to the part, but he does more for the enterprise than it does for him). The winner of four Academy Awards (including Best Picture!), the film is usually described as 'lusty' or 'bawdy', but the development of the many assorted characters is poor, the smirking overall tone is tiresome, and the general heart of the piece becomes lost in the morass. ** from ****