Anna Karenina

[AndyP]

Can't make up my mind about this. It was a bit different with the theatre thing going on, not that I don't like different but felt it was more suited to a play. Anyway didn't even recognise Jude Law, so credit to him for that. Enjoyed costumes, dancing, music but what was that stamping papers, jumping up and down in unison. 7/10 from me.

[asamaic]

I wasn't moved by any of the characters - but those dresses were wonderful. Spent the 2 hours staring at them and wondering how inappropriate it would be to wear them in modern day London and whether or not I cared. Not busy by usual Shaftesbury Avenue standards, but fuller than I had been expecting based on previous comments.

My friend loved this though, so I'm glad we went.

[The Sparrow]

If you didn't know, this film won the Oscar for Best Costume Design.

[ejwrank]

We were divided on this one. Quite liked the idea of theatre and film mixed but I never thought it worked smoothly or completely. If you didn't know the story (and some people don't) I think it would have been impossible to follow and setting the beginning in the theatre did a disservice to those trying to understand what was going on if they didn't know beforehand. Son didn't like it at all; daughter and I had mixed feelings; husband quite liked it. It got us talking as we left about what worked and what didn't so I guess that was something. We all thought Jude Law was surprisingly good. Did anyone else think that Keira running through gardens, etc in her ballgown reminded them of the Xmas perfume ads or is that just me being silly?

[prettyxcool]

Did anyone else think that Keira running through gardens, etc in her ballgown reminded them of the Xmas perfume ads or is that just me being silly?

That was just what I thought too, one of her Chanel ads!

[asamaic]

If you didn't know, this film won the Oscar for Best Costume Design.

I didn't, no, but it doesn't surprise me! The costumes were gorgeous.

We were divided on this one. Quite liked the idea of theatre and film mixed but I never thought it worked smoothly or completely. If you didn't know the story (and some people don't) I think it would have been impossible to follow and setting the beginning in the theatre did a disservice to those trying to understand what was going on if they didn't know beforehand.

Setting it in a theatre didn't confuse me, and stylistically, I thought it was nice - but this film just didn't grab me. I don't know why - maybe I just can't connect to any story with Keira Knightly at the heart of it - she only has about two facial expressions.

Anyway, the film was pleasant enough to look at! I've sat through much less enjoyable movies.

[stuartboy]

So is anyone going to explain the use of and the setting of in the theatre? Or was this purely an artistic device?

[newdot]

possibly "all the worlds a stage", ala Olivier's Henry V or possibly due more to budgetary constraints, or as a way to emphasis the personal nature of this story in contrast to the vast vistas of, say, Doctor Zhivago.

i think it worked well, whatever the answer, but i'm sure if you googled it you could find out the director's own reasoning.

[newdot]

from the guardian review:

"In Tolstoy, the theatre is often something to be mistrusted, both as art-form and social occasion, a place of absurdity and vanity either side of the footlights. Famously, the one thing he personally disliked in Chekhov was his habit of writing for the theatre, and said to him: "Shakespeare's plays are bad enough, but yours are even worse!" So it is an interesting, even subversive idea for screenwriter Tom Stoppard and director Joe Wright to have contrived an adaptation of Anna Karenina set in one place: a theatre."

[missgotty]

Another film from the Bafta screenings at Shatsbury Avenue. I liked the first half and thought it would get very gritty between Anna and the love interest but nothing really materialised apart from a grudge. The second half was quite boring including the departure scene. Jude Law acted really well though.