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| Keira Knightley |
If you like pretty people in period pieces, then the new version of "Anna Karenina," the stagey but entertaining new drama based on the Leo Tolstoy novel is for you. From director Joe Wright ("Atonement"), it's often a matter of style over substance but also well-acted. The story unfolds in its original late 19th century tsarist Russia high-society setting and powerfully explores the capacity and differences of passionate, adulterous love and the stability of marriage and family. Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) questions her happiness as she falls madly in love with Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), though she is married to government official Alexei (Jude Law) and has a son with him. She must choose between the love she wants and the love she needs to survive. Director Wright has staged a lovely, enjoyable version of "Anna Karenina," though it often has the texture of a stilted perfume ad. Knightley is the most memorable of the cast, in a strong turn that's likely to garner her another Oscar nomination. Knightley can play these period roles and heavy costumes in her sleep, but she's quite ravishing in the costumes. Speaking of which, the clothes, the sets, music and photography are all first-rate, detailed and likely to garner accolades. Wright's approach, to take it as if the audience is watching this unfold on the stage, is intriguing; it initially works well but seems more difficult to incorporate later in the film. As the men in her life, Law and Taylor-Johnson are handsome though not quite as lovely to behold as Knightley, who this film clearly belongs to. "Anna Karenina" is a glossy, enjoyable film whose last act is filled with high drama, but it's a must-see especially for Knightley fans and those who enjoy this type of thing.
Wes's Grade: B
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