Anna Karenina(2012)- User Reviews

This movie was absolutely fantastic. I haven't read the book yet, but after this I am absolutely going to. However, since I haven't read it, I can't tell you how well it stuck to the novel; all I can tell you is that it's exquisite.

I believe you will either love this movie or hate it, and from the people I've talked to and the reviews I've seen, it seems this is the case. I strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys bold, extravagant, well-acted films. I've never been a huge Keira Knightley fan, but she did a phenomenal job. She has really matured as an actress from her days of pouting in Pirates of the Caribbean. I know people have been complaining about the casting of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, but he is stunning as Vronsky. He is confident, suave, and passionate. It's no mystery to the viewer why Anna falls for him. Jude Law is superb as Anna's stiff husband who doesn't express his love in a way that sustains Anna. His performance is flawless. All of the main characters ought to earn an Oscar nod.

The staging in this movie will either amaze or irritate, and I found it incredibly unique. I have never seen anything like this before. Although it may seem that setting the majority of the film in an old, run-down theater may not allow for much creative expression, this is simply not the case in this film. It makes everything feel more intimate for the viewer. The costumes were beautiful and the whole film suspends reality for the duration of the two hours and ten minutes in a lovely way.

This film whisked me away into Anna's turmoil and eventually got me so involved that I completely forgot about anything else. I was so absorbed that it seemed bizarre to walk back out into the modern world and drive home.

Beautifully acted, wonderfully scripted, and exquisitely staged, Anna Karenina is a film I will not forget anytime soon, and it is now one of my favorites.