"Anna Karenina" - 2012

"Anna Karenina": A Movie of Great Moustaches.

     Okay, there is more to this movie than the facial hair of its leading men, even though most of it is quite impressive. 

     The movie is beautiful and interesting in its construction, the whole film taking place on a stage in a theater where the only spectators are us, the viewers. The rapid moving of set walls, screens and backdrops transform rooms that were just a few seconds ago bedrooms into offices, restaurants, and ball rooms. The ability to create new locations out of nothing is startling at first and lends a great deal to a sense of artifice. The performances at the beginning almost seem campy or over-dramatic, as if the actors are performing to a large crowd on the stage we see them on. The motions of the actors even are a little dance-y, seeming choreographed and cute. A scene in Anna's brother's office with his workers has them stamping paperwork to a steady beat.

     As time goes on though, we become acclimated to this inventive new environment and see the world the characters are seeing. The performances become more contained and realistic, and the ever moving world on the stage lends a great sense of motion and fluidity to the story. But as the movie continues, we break free from the stage and are out in the real world, only to come back to the stage in other scenes. The intertwining scenes in grandiose landscapes and in the composed sets in the theater give a clear view that what is happening on the stage in the glow of the oil lamps is what is being seen and judged by society, what is being witnessed on the "public stage" if you will, and what is outside of the theater is safe from the prying eyes of the aristocracy. (SPOILER ALERT) This can be evidenced by the fact that when Anna and her lover, Count Vronsky, first have their romantic interactions they break free of the stage and are on their own, such as in the Count's bedroom or in the field, but when their relationship becomes known to others in society they are seen on the stage. (END SPOILER ALERT)

     This review is mostly about the symbolism, hard work and ingenuity that went into this movie. It is beautiful, and interesting and makes me think over it again and again. But, it was lacking. Towards the end, the story got a little lagging and I found myself wondering when it would be over. My friends I saw it with said they didn't like Anna's character and found her annoying, but I don't feel the same. She was motivated by feelings she had never experienced before for another human being (everyone knows the intensity of first love) and her overwhelming desire for happiness in her life. Yeah, she got kind of whiney, but hey she had gone through a lot by that point and was being crushed by societal expectations day and night, SO MUCH SO that she couldn't even sleep. We can be unsympathetic nowadays to a character of her kind because we don't know what situations would be like for a woman back then unless we actually went back in time.

     Given all that, Keira Knightley was stunning, but felt a little cold at points, making my mind identify with her character, but not my heart. Everyone else's performances were pretty solid though.

     The story was decent. It was a good movie, just not my fave. Overall, I would give this movie a 5/10. I wouldn't say don't go see it, because I would recommend seeing it just for how gorgeous everything looks (including the actors), but don't have sweeping expectations. I have no clue how close it is to the book, for I have never read it. It isn't a very happy movie, so be warned if you think you are going to see a romantic comedy.

That is all.