Directed by Joe Wright
Starring Keira Knightley, Jude Law
As period pieces go, Joe Wrights Anna Karenina is a bold and unconventional take on Tolstoys classic thats sure to sharply divide audiences.
In the directors third teaming with Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement), his leading lady stars in the title role as an aristocrat who engages in a sordid affair with the affluent Count Vronsky (Aaron Johnson), thereby throwing her marriage to Aleksei Karenin (Jude Law) into disarray. The cast is exceptional, with stellar work from Knightley and Law plus solid support from a scene-stealing Matthew McFadyen and Domhnall Gleeson, who surprisingly gives the film much of its emotional depth.
The execution, however, is what everyone will be talking about and what sets the filmmakers vision apart from other movies in the genre.Backed by the glorious cinematography of Seamus McGarvey, Wright opts for a reimagining that resembles an actual stage play shifting backdrops cleverly transition various scenes, costume changes often appear on camera and much of the films rousing score is provided by live music recorded on the intricate sets.The results, though some will find contrived, are nothing short of pure cinema magic.
Eventually, the film suffers from a bit of style over substance and even Tom Stoppards witty screenplay cant help the piece from getting a bit bogged down. Despite some flaws Anna Karenina is immensely enjoyable, not only for its vivid imagery but for the fact Joe Wright took such a bold and ambitious approach to what could have otherwise been another overlong costume drama.
