Tommy Movie Review

Tommy boasts a number of fine rock stars, as well as Oliver Reed (Frank Hobbs) and (Doctor) Jack Nicholson, who don't let their lack of vocal talent bother them too much. And (Preacher) Eric Clapton is outstanding as always. You'll either love Tommy or hate it, depending on how you feel about Ken Russell as a movie director. Russell's style is uniquely his own: wild, excessive, and gooey. He gets extravagant performances out of Ann-Margret as Nora Walker and Tina Turner as the Acid Queen, makes Roger Daltrey look good as Tommy Walker, and blasts everyone within six blocks of the movie theatre with Quintaphonic Sound, a system he reportedly adored in the 1970s. Tommy’s themes are charged with energy and pizzazz. They are also, as interpreted by Russell, bigger than life, predictable, and completely obvious. Russell overindulges audiences, stuffs them to the gills, in fact. So how come so many viewers tend to feel so empty afterward?

1975 (PG) 108m/C Ann-Margret, Elton John, Oliver Reed, Tina Turner, Roger Daltrey, Eric Clapton, Keith Moon, Pete Townshend, Jack Nicholson, Robert Powell, Paul Nicholas, Barry Winch, Victoria Russell, Ben Aris, Mary Holland, Jennifer Baker, Susan Baker, Arthur Brown, John Entwhistle; D: Ken Russell; W: Ken Russell, Keith Moon, John Entwhistle; C: Dick Bush; M: Pete Townshend. Golden Globe Awards ‘76: Best Actress—Musical/Comedy (Ann-Margret); Nominations: Academy Awards ‘75: Best Actress (Ann-Margret), Best Original Score. VHS, LV