The Film
Keira Knightley is the go-to actress for period pieces, so it's no surprise that she's playing the title character in Anna Karenina. Personally, I prefer to see her mix up her resume a bit, with projects like Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. Here we are, though.
Leo Tolstoy's novel has been brought to film countless times, with the most recent being just a mere 12 years ago. However, this one has director Joe Wright collaborating with Knightley a third time, with the actress playing the title character. She's quite lovely in it, although some of the things she's doing here are far from graceful.
Set in Imperial Russia 1874, Anna Karenina (Knightley) seems to have a pretty sweet existence. She loves her son and she's married to a good, yet older man, the statesman Alexi Karenin (Jude Law). On a trip to Moscow (which is a whole other story), she meets Count Alexi Vronsky (Kick Ass' Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Naturally, the two fall in love and things quickly get complicated.
At 130 minutes, Anna Karenina is a long film. However, it manages to keep you pretty glued, with a bit of a Baz Luhrmann vibe. It's definitely not as rock-and-roll, but Wright does his best, with a slew of gorgeous imagery and a wonderful soundtrack. It absolutely works, too. That's probably why the film has Oscar nominations for Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Best Costume Design.
Want to know more of the ins and outs of this epic? Check out Jim Dooley's theatrical review of Anna Karenina.
The Picture
This is an absolutely stunning film. As mentioned above, the film has been nominated for a lot of visual Oscar categories, so you know you're in for for some serious eye candy. Thankfully, the 2.40:1 transfer delivers the costumes, the scenery, and the porcelain skin of Keira Knightley all beautifully. Yes, the film has fine acting and a sad story, but the image is absolutely its strongest suit. There are tons of intricate details here and this transfer makes each one of them pop. The colors and the contrast are no slouch either; it's an absolutely captivating image.
The Sound
Anna Karenina is filled with low dialogue. That said, there are a ton of sounds going on in this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. It's probably going to take you a minute or two to find the sweet spot for this film, but once you do, there's a slew of audio surprises. Trains whistle and woosh through the surrounds with great force and there are fireworks, gunshots, and horses filling the soundfield. Also, that Oscar-nominated score is just heavenly. Like the image, Anna Karenina's audio is a real winner.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
This isn't the first version of Anna Karenina -- or even the fifth. It's a little on the long side, but how exactly can one cut down Tolstoy? It's also heavy at times, but director Joe Wright puts a shiny spin on things, making it a grand affair. The film will have you running a gamut of emotions, but that's what makes it interesting. It's also well cast and gorgeous to boot.
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