IMDb plot summary: In late-19th-century Russian high society, St. Petersburg aristocrat Anna Karenina enters into a life-changing affair with the dashing Count Alexei Vronsky.
Directed by Joe Wright. Starring Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Matthew Macfadyen.
This is certainly a unique movie. It reminded me a lot of Moulin Rouge! in the way it took such visual liberties in telling the story to create a sense of it all being extremely grandiose. For the most part it works here, although, like in Moulin Rouge!, that grandiose, over-the-top visual portrayal of infatuation looks beautiful but leads to a fairly cold attitude toward its characters. Anna's husband is perhaps the most human character in the whole thing, primarily because his side of the saga is seldom romanticized, and his struggles are shown exactly as they are. It makes for an interesting take on the story, though I'm not sure it actually serves the story's purpose well. That being said, it is an engaging narrative, and it is beautiful to look at, so anyone who is a fan of unique visuals will enjoy watching this film.
4 stars.
How it entered my Flickchart:
Anna Karenina > The Fall
Anna Karenina > American Outlaws
Anna Karenina < The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Anna Karenina < E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Anna Karenina < Four Lions
Anna Karenina < Key Largo
Anna Karenina > The Reader
Anna Karenina > Kolya
Anna Karenina < Cloud Atlas
Anna Karenina > Panic Room
Final spot: #584 out of 2469.
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