Anna Karenina (2012) Film Review

Set in Russia quite some time ago, Anna Karenina tells the story of Anna (Keira Knightly) who is happily married to the staid and steady (and boring) older man, Karenin (Jude Law) until she meets the charming soldier, Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). They cause a scandal in society with their flirtatious looks and dancing and eventually their love brings them both down.

This is an extremely beautiful film. Cinematically stunning, with the theatrical absurdity that I have long loved from Tom Stoppard. For me, the film was a bit long, but it was so stunning that I didn’t mind. I didn’t even mind Keira Knightly’s pouting or the long, drawn-out shots with the single tear slowly tracking down her face. It was worth it even just for the spectacular dance sequences with the languid and stunning movements. I wish I’d seen it on the big screen.

Anna Karenina won Oscars for Best Achievement in Costume Design and was nominated for Oscars for Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score and Best Achievement in Production Design. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Score – Motion Picture, won a BAFTA for Best Costume Design and was nominated for BAFTAs for Best British Film, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Film Music and Best Make Up/Hair

Atonement (2007) Film Review

I remember the start of Kiera Knightly’s career. In Bend it like Beckham, she was the young and adorable thing. Then in Pirates of the Carribean she had a bit of fight in her – there was some humour, and I especially enjoyed the flirtiness between her character and the marvellous Captain Jack Sparrow. But since then, every performance of hers I’ve seen makes me cringe. It’s the pout more than anything; plus the fact that when she smiles, she appears to be in pain. I was hoping for more in Atonement, but was sorely let down. She pouted more than ever and talked so fast I could barely understand her. Terrible.

Atonement tells the story of Briony Tallis, as young child who witnesses several events and connects them together in, what appears to her to be a logical manner, with dire results.

I read the book by Ian McEwan years ago and so knew the story, and I think that the film would be far better if the plot was a surprise. I also really enjoyed the book, and that can be so problematic when watching film translations. I must re-read it now, because it felt that there was not enough content to maintain the film for the full 123 minutes, and given that it is not a short book, it seems odd.

The film is beautifully filmed, especially the extremely long single camera shot along the beach in France as the soldiers wait to be evacuated. James McAvoy is great, as usual, and the young actress Saoirse Ronan was deserving of her Oscar nomination. Just a shame about Knightly.

Atonement won the Oscar for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score and was nominated for Oscars for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Saorise Ronan), Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay, Best Achievement in Cinematography, Best Achievement in Art Direction and Best Acheievement in Costume Design. It won the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture- Drama and Best Original Score, as well as a heap of nominations for Golden Globes in other areas.

The Soloist (2009) – Film Review

Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jnr) a columnist for the Los Angeles Times comes across a schizophrenic homeless man, Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) who plays beautiful violin music. Writing about him touches the hearts of his readers, and Lopez wants to find ways to help Nathaniel to improve his life, regardless of whether Nathaniel wants or needs this assistance.

It’s based on a true story which can sometimes make for fairly twee films, but this one worked for me. Possibly it is in part my delight at watching Robert Downie Jnr, who is definitely one of my favourite actors, but it is also a well structured film which shows great empathy for both Ayers and Lopez. I found the scenes depicting Ayers during some of the bad times of his schizophrenia were a bit heavy-handed, but this did set up his emotional state for later in the film.

It seems that every film I’ve watched recently is long, and like many of them, I think it could have been cut down a bit. It takes a really, really special film to hold my attention for two hours, and whilst I enjoyed this film, it ain’t two-hours-long-special.