Anna Karenina

[EthanRunt]

Well, this was awful. The first time I sat through a Joe Wright film and wasn't entertained or entranced in the slightest.

[sikmansam]

Surprisingly, i really enjoyed this one. A useful talk from one of the producers, and a really good film. Amazing visually and a stunning spin on Tolstoy's novels. It is a bit too dreamlike in fractions, to the detriment of any emotional scenes, but this was overall, excellent.

[prettyxcool]

Well, this was awful. The first time I sat through a Joe Wright film and wasn't entertained or entranced in the slightest.

that made me laughed. I wouldn't go that far!

My belated review, although at the introductions, we were told not to tweet about it, strange as it was the result of a twitter comp my friends won (totally missed it as I was at the paras!) that we were there!

The film is sumptous and beautifully shot, great sets, and loved the costumes, but I didn't feel the passion or the great love affair between the two leads that caused such a stir in the Russian aristocracy! Kick-ass guy was the lover, and Kiera was just like in the Chanel ad! Such a shame, as I so wanted this to be the Leo Tolstoy classic. 7/10

The director's Q&A before the film, was interesting, and I really enjoyed the pre-drinks. You can always rely on The Mayfair Hotel serving good wine, they have their reputation to think about after all. Thanks to jeancomp for being my plus 1 at short notice!

[Beate]

I am going to the premiere tonight!

[prettyxcool]

Fab! Well done. I gave up all hope, so went to the special screening on Sunday.
Hope you manage to get photos of some of the stars. Have a lovely time.

[prettyxcool]

Apparently, there's chandeliers!

[Beate]

I've got plenty of pictures of almost all actors plus the chandeliers! Mostly taken from the big screen inside, but I got one nice shot of Keira Knightley outside while she was being interviewed. An usher tried to shoo me along but I just about managed to take it.

I even saw funthing29 and canadian_turtle on the big screen walking down the red carpet but I didn't react in time to take a picture. Thanks so so much for the tickets! We were in the front row seat of the middle stalls bit and while I hate front row and had to crank my head right back at times, it was great for legroom and not bad for the brief actor introduction at the beginning. Shame Kelly Macdonald wasn't there but we got Keira, Jude Law, Matthew Macfadyen, Olivia Williams, Alicia Vikander (from A Royal Affair) and Aaron Johnson, or Aaron Tyler-Johnson as he is called now. Plus Joe Wright of course and even Sir Tom Stoppard! Saw Benedict Cumberbatch briefly on the red carpet but couldn't get a good picture. Olivia Williams was very amusing in her red carpet interview, but I mostly zoned out with the others. We got bags of Minstrels plus water at our seats which was just as well as the popcorn apparently cost 3 quid!

With all the red carpet hoo-ha and director's speech it was about 7.30pm when it finally started, and I admit to yawning a lot throughout due to tiredness. Also, the camera zooming in and out rapidly sometimes and having fuzzy backgrounds was a bit nausea-inducing, especially from the front row. I must admit that the film wasn't for me. It was all style over substance, overwrought and stagey, with too much emphasis put on it all looking suitably artistic and theatrey. Yes, the costumes were great but the characters and story just didn't grab me and I played a lot of "spot the actor" to while the time ("Hello "Bill Weasley", hello Ruth Wilson, hello Emily Watson). It almost felt like a farce at times, with people in stagey positions staring into space.

Liberated loads of minstrels on the way out, and on the DLR platform a bloke told OH that he had "cool hair", ha ha.

6.5/10

[funthing29]

What a weak adaptation of a literary classic. The director chose to focus too much on the visuals (dance, costumes, scenery) and forgot to create a compelling story. I hated the transitions between scenes. It was long and seriously dragged. The film is colourful and lavish, with great attention to detail, but the story takes a backseat to the production value. None of the actors shone and I felt no emotional investment in the central love story. So disappointing. 6/10.

[canadian_turtle]

Far too long and self indulgent. Beautiful visuals, camera-work, sets and costumes but after a while the "artistic" approach got on my nerves and I wanted the story to progress already. Actually felt more interested in Kitty than Anna towards the end, the latter I just found foolish and selfish.

I did really love the theatrical feel and the way they incorporated theatre sets, the stage and even the backstage area as a central piece to the film.

6.5/10

Liberated loads of minstrels on the way out

Thought I saw you guys leave within seconds of the film ending (the credits had *just* started rolling), how did you do that? We waited for a bit and as people got up also went Minstrel hunting

[Beate]

Far too long and self indulgent. Beautiful visuals, camera-work, sets and costumes but after a while the "artistic" approach got on my nerves and I wanted the story to progress already. Actually felt more interested in Kitty than Anna towards the end, the latter I just found foolish and selfish.

I did really love the theatrical feel and the way they incorporated theatre sets, the stage and even the backstage area as a central piece to the film.

6.5/10

Liberated loads of minstrels on the way out

Thought I saw you guys leave within seconds of the film ending (the credits had *just* started rolling), how did you do that? We waited for a bit and as people got up also went Minstrel hunting

We walked out on the outside as the men's toilets were there and when we came past the back rows saw that a few had been unoccupied so leant over and snaffled!

My problem with the film was that the artistic approach droned out any attempt of telling an obsessive love story. For a love story to work you have to want to root for the characters and I never did. Also, the original story is quite complex and long and while it is admirable to try to break high literature down so it can be understood, this felt like Tolstoy lite. Anna came across like a total fool while Karenin appeared like a saint and Vronsky like a nice man who unconditionally loved her, and it's way more complicated than that. The law and "rules" were always on the side of the men and it was always the women who suffered, even if they had done nothing wrong, as with Dolly and her philandering husband. Also, Levin and Kitty's story is all but neglected and only pops up now and then for 2 minutes.