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Tom Jones (1963)
Customer Reviews
Rating:  - Worst "Best" Picture Oscar Winner Ever!
When you think that "Lawrence of Arabia" preceded this and "My Fair Lady" followed this it boggles the mind that something as terribly bad as this film could ever be mentioned in the same breath as those two brilliant all-time classics of film. I thought that "Gigi" was the worst film ever to win the Best Picture award until I saw this. Much of this film reminded me of the typical Benny Hill comedy and we all know just how "well" those jokes have aged over the years.
Not only is the film itself extremely mediocre but so is the dvd; the picture quality is extremely poor as this hasn't been restored at all and the sound quality is just as poor in mono. I only hope that the book itself is a lot better than this waste of plastic.
Highly NOT recommended except as a cure for severe insomnia!
Rating:  - One of the Best Adaptations to Screen Ever
Tom Jones is one of the greatest books in English literature- and still very fun to read. This movie captures the spirit (and the essentials of the story) perfectly. Of course, there is a great deal more detail in the book but the movie would have had to be ten times longer to capture that- of necessity screen adaptations have to pare down the story to essentials in order to fit a two to two and a half hour time frame. The result is often a movie that bares little resemblance to the original story. Not here. You will not be disappointed.
Rating:  - One of the worst "BEST PICTURES": TOM JONES,1963.DVD is like the VHS!
Oh well...it's just my opinion!
I found the movie,after all these years, not funny,trite,boring,but most of all not well researched as far as costumes and make up.This Period Piece about the foundling Tom Jones, and his "naughty" chasing of the ladies,is anything but that.As far as the look of the film,there is much that was overlooked in the production value of this film.The costumes were extremely dull and unimaginative.Some characters appear in the same get up in every scene. There was no attempt to de-60's these actors-women with the plucked eyebrows and fake upper eyelashes,as well as inauthentic hair styles.On the deer hunt, it is obvious that the hunters are traveling a road clearly marked with tire tracks (that was really startling!).A Period Piece needs to have a look and air of authenticity and historicity.TOM JONES does not.Director Tony Richardson seems more intent in making a film that has a silent movie-era effect with his countless odd dissolves and transitions that seem affected after a few scenes.The film seems intent on amusing us with clever trickery of the style of the film,but is sorely lacking in any substance.1963 must have been a week year for films,or could it be that LILIES OF THE FIELD was just too "black" for the Academy to award it's top prize? Just my opinion.
The DVD is identical to the old VHS print-very grainy,dull color and color fluctuation with bad sound.The tape is better for the price.
Rating: - Tom Jones
Winner of the Best Picture Oscar, Tony Richardson's rousing film has all vital elements in proper alignment: a brilliant screenplay by playwright John Osborne, swift pacing fueled by John Addison's zippy harpsichord score, and colorful performances from a powerhouse cast including Griffith, Joan Greenwood, Diane Cilento, Edith Evans, and a young David Warner as the priggish Mr. Blifil. York is the epitome of fair English beauty, and Finney carries off the central role with gusto. Sumptuous color photography is another bonus. Don't miss the famous Finney/Cilento eating scene.
Rating: - Good.
Yes, the book is better, but this is still great stuff. I think it even got a few laughs out of my boyfriend who doesn't much care for older movies or literary classics. My favorite part is the eating scene where he and the prostitute are tearing off chunks of meat in a way that fluctuates between disgusting and lusty.
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