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7
WEDNESDAY
Youthful irreverence, erotic adventurism, cartoonish fast-mo, and smirking asides delivered directly to the cameras: Tom Jones is set in some old century or another, but the moment at which the film was made is immediately obvious. It’s the early ’60s, when London was just starting to swing and such British directors as Tony Richardson were carefully studying the French new wave. (Before undertaking this project, Richardson must have spent a lot of time with Jules and Jim and Zazie dans le Métro). Angry Young Man John Osborne gleefully streamlines Henry Fielding’s 1749 novel about Tom (Albert Finney), a foundling who grows up to be easygoing and chivalrous but less than scrupulous; his high-minded romance with neighbor Sophie (Susannah York) is complicated by frequent casual dalliances with other women. This engagement unveils a new print of the film, which wasn’t too seditious to win four Oscars in 1964. The film screens at 6:30 and 9 p.m. (see Showtimes for other dates) at the American Film Institute’s Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Road, Silver Spring. $8.50. (301) 495-6700. (Mark Jenkins)