Skip to main content

Anna Karenina

Starring: Keira Knightley, Jude Law, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Directed by: Joe Wright
Screenplay by: Tom Stoppard
Based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy

     I've not heard the most wonderful things about the book Anna Karenina.  I've heard it's quite long and can be a bit boring.  Apparently, these themes were translated quite well into the film version of the story.
     It's 19th century Russia, and the main characters all come from a high class in society.  So, when the aristocrat, Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) falls into an affair with Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), things get ugly for both of them and everyone in their lives.  Much respect and love for both of them is lost, and it is truly an affair that shocks the nation.
     I find the most interesting thing about this film to be the way in which all of the actors speak.  The film takes place in Russia, so theoretically, the actors should be speaking with Russian accents if the film is to be done in English, simply to make it sound a little more authentic, even though audiences already know it's not authentic.  So, I find it fascinating that everyone speaks flawless English with British accents in a film that takes place in 19th century Russia.  Does anyone other than myself find this to be somewhat strange or ironic?  I am rather intrigued by this part of the film's style, but I can't say that I like it all that much.
     The staging of the film seems like one major and interactive theater production.  It's all a little overdramatic and much of the film feels like it takes place inside of a theater without an audience watching this production.  This is evident in the film because there are many shots of what looks like a scene being played out or about to play out on a stage.
     Costume design plays a large role in this film as well.  The costumes are amazing.  They are the most elegant and best designed costumes so far this year.
     I expected this film to be a lot better than it is.  I'm not fond of the overall directing of the film, but the art direction is incredible.  I think the filmmakers focused too much on the art direction and not enough on the overall direction of the film.  My recommendation, skip it.  The story is hard to follow.  It's not very interesting and the film will lose your attention pretty quickly.
     I give Anna Karenina a C.
   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Hunger Games

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth Directed by: Gary Ross Screenplay by: Gary Ross and Suzanne Collins Based on the novel by Suzanne Collins      If reality television hasn't gone too far yet, then this show should definitely make it go too far.      In a futuristic nation called Panem, one boy and one girl are selected from each of the nation's twelve districts to represent them in an annual television event called the Hunger Games.  Of the 24 contestants, only one will survive in this televised fight to the death.      I like the concept of the story.  While this futuristic society seems somewhat simple, it does not seem all that well developed.  It is unknown how this society came into being, even though it is known how the Hunger Games began.      If this film were released last year, I would have hoped it would be nominated for best make-up.  Many of the characters look absolutely ridiculous and are way too flashy, but the make-up is v
2 comments
Read more

First Man

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, and Corey Stoll Directed by: Damien Chazelle Screenplay by: Josh Singer Based on the book by James R. Hansen      Yes, this is the same director who did La La Land from a few years ago.  But this is a true story this time, and not necessarily a feel good one.      Many of us know about Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.  First Man is not simply the story of the moon landing, but the story about Armstrong and what led him to be the first man in history to walk on the moon.  It's a story about making huge sacrifices for himself, and his family, in order to accomplish such a goal, as well as overcoming a great deal of grief.       The film focuses almost entirely on Neil (Ryan Gosling).  The film opens up on him as one of the premiere pilots in the military, piloting the X-15; a plane that was capable of flying over 100,000 feet altitude.  He is portrayed as
Post a Comment
Read more

Resident Evil: Afterlife

Starring Milla Jovovich and Ali Larter, and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson Resident Evil: Afterlife is a somewhat scary action thriller about a zombie dominated planet during present times. It's the fourth movie in the franchise. Alice (Jovovich) is the former head of security at the Umbrella Corporation, the company that created the T-Virus that accidentally escaped and turned everybody into zombies. She travels to Alaska to what she thinks is a small town called Arcadia, where there is supposedly a colony of survivors that are infection free. She is drawn by transmissions saying that they offer safety and security, food and shelter. When she arrives, nothing is there, but she picks up Claire Redfield (Larter) and travels to what once was Los Angeles where there is another colony of four survivors living atop a prison rooftop and surrounded by zombies. They find that the Arcadia is actually a ship just offshore. Can they make it to the ship? Milla Jovovich plays a very act
2 comments
Read more