Gareth Jones is probably not a name you've heard of before, but you should remember him.
Despite the adverse odds, he tells the truth about Stalin's Ukraine and how wretched the country was, starving child after starving child, dead bodies in the road and only two bits of food per person per day even though he is discredited by a Pulitzer winner.
Portrayed by James Norton, Jones is fearless, escaping from his Soviet handler and seeing the real 1934 Ukraine where there is plenty of grain but none of it is for the people who grew but is rather shipped to Moscow where there is enemy suppression and it is difficult to express your own opinion.
The film is incredibly bleak, with its stark cinematography and intense score but where it fails is that it juxtapositions clips of George Orwell's Animal Farm, as Gareth's truth is the basis for that book. I feel that that gave the film an odd feel and served as the framework for this film. Unfortunately, Gareth didn't get a happy ending, he was killed in 1935 after his tour guide turned on him. Which is just a shame, more people needed the scruples of Gareth to make this world a better place. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-Vanessa Kirby's character, Ada Brooks, is a bit of an odd character, she writes in Moscow but doesn't trust her handler anymore but isn't as brave as Gareth. Their kiss scene is incredibly awkward.
-Eating tree bark is disgusting and a poor excuse for a meal.
-Why does Stalin want his people to starve? They have worth.
-Gareth watches a living child get picked up and placed in a dead pile. I wasn't upset that he didn't try to save the child, then again, he probably couldn't have done much but still.
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