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Notes:
En route to Moscow to visit her bother, Anna makes the acquiantance of Countess Vronsky. Countess Vronsky is met at the train station by her son. Mutual sparks between Anna and Vronsky.
Drama - This is an adaptation of the classic novel of the same name, but it
takes an unusual approach in having it all play out in the space of
an empty theatre. This is a big showcase for star Keira Knightley.
Some sexuality and violence make the film inappropriate for kids who
likely will not be interested.
PROFANITY: 2 miscellaneous profanities. SEX/NUDITY: Sex and unrelated nudity. VIOLENCE: A man cut in half; some hits and falls. DRUGS/ALCOHOL: Alcohol and tobacco. ACTION: None. COMEDY: Some comic lines and physical humor.
Berardinelli, Internet CriticFull Review Good As a one-time devotee of Russian literature, I was suitably diverted and occasionally impressed.
Roger EbertFull Review Above Average This is a sumptuous film — extravagantly staged and photographed, perhaps too much so for its own good.
USA TodayFull Review Above Average Though energetic, daring and gorgeous to behold, this re-imagining of Tolstoy's classic tale lacks a viable sense of passion, holding the characters at arm's length and glossing over social issues.
Washington PostFull Review Excellent Wright's "Anna Karenina" sings, dances and finally soars, even as its legendary heroine plunges to her most self-destructive depths.
Note: The rating
above is our interpretation of what the critic would give this movie based on
their review. We are not affiliated with these critic's in any way.
The time is
1874. Vibrant and beautiful,
Anna Karenina (Ms. Knightley) has what any of her contemporaries would aspire
to; she is the wife
of Karenin (Jude Law), a high-ranking government official to whom she has borne
a son, and her
social standing in St. Petersburg could scarcely be higher. She journeys to
Moscow after a letter from
her philandering brother Oblonsky (Matthew Macfadyen) arrives, asking for Anna
to come and help
save his marriage to Dolly (Kelly Macdonald). En route, Anna makes the
acquaintance of Countess
Vronsky (Olivia Williams), who is then met at the train station by her son, the
dashing cavalry officer
Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). When Anna is introduced to Vronsky, there is a
mutual spark of
instant attraction that cannot - and will not - be ignored.
The Moscow household is also visited by Oblonsky's best friend Levin (Domhnall
Gleeson), an overly
sensitive and compassionate landowner. Levin is in love with Dolly's younger
sister Kitty (Alicia
Vikander). Inopportunely, he proposes to Kitty but she is infatuated with
Vronsky. Devastated, Levin
returns to his Pokrovskoe estate and throws himself into farm work. Kitty
herself is heartbroken
when, at a grand ball, Vronsky only has eyes for Anna and the married woman
reciprocates the
younger man's interest.
Anna struggles to regain her equilibrium by rushing home to St. Petersburg,
where Vronsky follows
her. She attempts to resume her familial routine, but is consumed by thoughts of
Vronsky. A
passionate affair ensues, which scandalizes St. Petersburg society. Karenin is
placed in an untenable
position and is forced to give his wife an ultimatum. In attempting to attain
happiness, the decisions
Anna makes pierce the veneer of an image-obsessed society, reverberating with
romantic and tragic
consequences that dramatically change her and the lives of all around her.
