Anna Karenina: Fluffy Pastry Pagentry

Anna Karenina

          You know when you are describing something, and you're not sure you want to call it strictly bad or good, and so instead you select the slightly prickly "interesting" as the best word to convey how you feel about said something.? Well today, after watching Joe Wright's adaption of Anna Karenina, I choose "interesting" as the way to describe it.  In this Anna Karenina, Keira Knightly, playing a paranoid, much less sympathetic version of her character in The Duchess, is in a loveless (on her part) marriage and seeks the excitement and attention of an affair with a young military man.  The problem of course, is that the affair ruins lives and hurts people, not that Anna really notices.  She comes across rather horribly.

       Depicted in a movie within a theater for large portions, Anna Karenina comes across as all glossy gimmicks and glittery pageantry with few moments of clarity and character and relationship development. As a viewer, you are given very shallow portraits of scenes.  Sure I could see that Anna's life was like a stage and the idea of her always being watched was a metaphor, but all in all the gimmick detracted and distracted from the human side of the story.

          The true redeeming portion of the film follows a young land owner (Domhnall Gleeson) who discovers the true meaning and nature of  love.  Many of his scenes are free in nature and much more soulful.  Joe Wright, who once directed Pride and Prejudice, is capable of so much beauty and soul.  Why then, did he create something with about as much depth as a fluffed pastry?  Instead of beauty and soul we got pretty and  showy.

          I wouldn't say I disliked the film altogether.  Instead, I enjoyed it the way one might enjoy a small pastry.  It was pretty and partly good (all due to Domhnall Gleeson, who you may know as Bill from Harry Potter), but it just didn't fill me up.  I did enjoy the bit of Matthew Macfadyen playing Anna's brother, if only because it was such a departure from his role as Mr. Darcy.

The One Movie to Rule Them All

               The season of unique, Oscar contending, thought-provoking film is upon us.  That's not to say you can't go out and see a light hearted movie (Wreck it Ralph, Fun Sized, The Legend of the Guardians...).  In no particular order, I'm listing movies I'd like to see coming out in the next few months.  Though let's face it, many of these films will be relegated to dollar theaters or Netflix.  There are a few however that demand to be seen.

October

Cloud Atlas

1.  Cloud Atlas

Maybe it's because  the trailer features one of my current favorite songs Outra by M83 and has the always lovable Tom Hanks as the narrator that I am so intrigued.  This film, from the minds of the Matrix creators, features a bevy of stars in a transcending poem of a movie.  I am incredibly intrigued and confused in equal parts, which certainly makes me want to see this film.  If you don't know who Ben Whishaw (of Bright Star and Brideshead Revisited) is, you will after the film.  Cloud Atlas comes out October 26, 2012.  Read more about it here.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This mainstream/indie hybrid based on the popular novel and featuring Emma Watson and Logan Lerman has already come out.  I may not see it in theaters, but it has enough charm as a  film about finding people who understand you and learning to understand yourself to merit a dvd viewing.

Argo

3.  Argo

Argo is already being considered the movie to beat.  I love a story so preposterous it has to be true.  Ben Affleck's vision of the story of a group of people who pose as sci-fi film makers to smuggle out hostages has gained Affleck immense praise.  I am slightly nervous to see the film (I was burned by Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, a film that would be more accurately labeled.  Talking Talking Sleeping Slumber).  Even so , I'm sure I will cave and see it.  Argo is also already in    theaters.

4.  Looper

This sci-fi film about a renegade time traveler forced into a vicious cycle where he must assassinate himself apparently has a killer ending.  I need to see Looper soon to avoid the ending being spoiled.  The movie, which is out now, stars Joseph Gordon Levitt, Emily Blunt, and Bruce Willis.

Chasing Mavericks

5.  Chasing Mavericks

Another film based on the true life, Chasing Mavericks tackles the life of a surfer willing to sacrifice his life in pursuit of the water's closest thing to Everest.  See a more detailed discussion of the film here.  It releases October 26, 2012.







November

Lincoln 

1.  Lincoln 

This Spielberg film destined to be a classic chronicles the life and struggles of our beloved and complex national legend.  I have already gone into details about the film here.  Lincoln debuts November 9, 2012.  I dare you to pay for your ticket in pennies.

Anna Karenina

2. Anna Karenina 

I am a sucker for Joe Wright films.  Pride and Prejudice is in my top two favorite films of all time, and though Atonement is not the kind of film I want to watch over and over again, I still can appreciate its haunting power as a film.  If you've seen his 3 plus minute long shot of Dunkirk, you know what I'm talking about.  This film features Wright's muse Keira Knightly as the woman torn by power and love in the infamous Russian tale.  Wright's version will take place predominantly in a theater, which baffles some Karenina fans.  I for one like the idea, mainly because I trust in the liberties Wright takes as a visionary.  That, and I'm not very familiar with the details of the book.  The theater film hits theaters November 16, 2012.

Life of Pi

3.Life of Pi

A book beloved by many is now, like so many books before it, the inspiration for a film by Ang Lee.  I never read the book in high school, but after watching the transfixing trailer for the coming of age tale, I may have to catch up with the millions who swear by the story.  Life of Pi comes out November 21



December

Les Miserables

1.  Les Miserables

When it comes to December films, I am sure there are more movies that I will eventually see, but when I first set eyes on the trailer for the musical version of Les Miserables, I knew I was a goner.  It was a moment of "Hello new movie favorite."  For more details on the film which comes out Christmas day, read here.

The Hobbit

2.  The Hobbit

This and Les Miserables are the two movies I have anticipated the most.  It's taken a while, but Peter Jackson's spin on Tolkien's classic is almost here! Martin Freeman is sure to fill the large feet of Bilbo Baggins, which is important, considering those feet are going to be in 3 films.  See more info about the movie coming out December 14, 2012 here.