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.

Star Trek Into Darkness is "Better...Than Everything"

Star Trek Into Darkness 

               An international trailer for the highly anticipated Star Trek Into Darkness is out.  Watch it here to make guesses about which baddie Benedict Cumberbatch is playing and witness the destruction he unleashes on a future earth.  According to the trailer, it seems that Cumberbatch's character is a top agent who feels wronged by Star Fleet commanders.  Either way, he seems rather high on the bad guy scale as he says, "I will walk over your cold corpses," and "I am better...at everything."  (Is there any creepier alliteration than "cold corpses," said in an intense British accent?)

            Perhaps Benedict Cumberbatch's character will make Star Trek Into Darkness better...at everything.  I am more excited for this movie than any other this year, that much is certainly true.

The Mindy Project Project

The Mindy Project

             The Mindy Project had a bit of a rough start.  In the beginning, it couldn't quite figure out what it was, shifting between work comedy, romantic comedy, and something in-between.  Comedies take time to really develop their characters and brand of humor, but man has Mindy Kaling's The Mindy Project become amazing.  It's now consistently funny, with goofy and endearing stories and characters.  Luckily, it's managed to stick around despite non-gargantuan ratings.  If you haven't watched The Mindy Project or given the comedy a second chance, it's your assignment.  Get it done stat. You'll regret it if you come in too late to this hilarious hodgepodge of a show.

Oz the Great and Powerful Review

Oz the Great and Powerful

            In the flood of fantasy-adventure films, Oz the Great and Powerful stands out with its flawed title character, endearing sidekicks, and plotting witches.  With respect and love for The Wizard of Oz, the film moves quickly, keeping the characters and plot tight and engrossing.  In short, the movie never dragged or dulled.  Visually stunning, Oz the Great and Powerful, unlike the poor Tin Man,  possesses a heart, which is more than most films of its nature can boast of.

          To his credit, James Franco does a fine job as the con-man from Kansas with a wicked smile and a heart deeper than it appears. You root for his character to mature and learn.  I don't wish to spoil the fun with the witches, though I will say that Michelle Williams carries her role with flair.  As a side, Zach Braff 's monkey was fantastic.  He should churn out animation characters all the time.

          All and all, I'd say hop on the tornado and take a trip to Oz the Great and Powerful.  If you're anything like the kid who sat a row in front of me, you'll have quite a ride.

Divergent Casts Four

              Divergent, the movie adaption of Veronica Roth's young adult series, has found its Four.  Four, the soulful main character opposite of Tris (Shailene Woodley), will be played by Theo James.  James currently stars in CBS's Golden Boy and is probably most remembered for playing a young man with an untimely end in Downton Abbey.  Like The Hunger Games, Divergent has cast many notable actors including Kate Winslet. In a world full of "just like Hunger Games", Divergent stands out as a unique story on its own.  Tobias "Four" is a fan favorite in the series.  While I was surprised by the casting, I cannot really pass any judgement  Here's hoping he does the role justice.

Veronica Mars and the Maybe Movie in the Making

Veronica Mars and the Maybe Movie

          Though never a huge hit, Veronica Mars now boasts cult following which includes its creator Rob Thomas and star Kristen Bell.  Veronica Mars was a show that ran for three years and featured a teen sleuth with sass and spunk to spare.  Since it ended abruptly in 2007, there have been many rumblings about the possibility of a movie.  Most of those rumblings ended sadly, with no movie in sight.  That may change now, thanks to Kickstarter, a way that Rob Thomas and crew are raising money for the film.  Veronica Mars must receive at least 2 million dollars in the next month to get the green light.  If this idea is successful, not only will we get a great movie (if you've seen the show, you know it'll be great), but we also may gain a revolutionary new way to influence entertainment.  Somewhere out there, a Firefly fan is already plotting, I promise you that.
     
         To donate, check out this sight here.  Already the donation amount is up to over one million dollars, which is a huge boost from earlier in the day.

Vampire Diaries Burns

Elena about to burn.

          After a conversation with another Vampire Diaries loving fan (sister shout-out), I had to finally post a quick reaction to the shake-up in the past few episodes.  Spoiler alert to those not yet caught up.  Jeremy really is dead and Elena, the heart, soul, and compassion of the show burned down her life, her memories, and even her house.  It was painful on many levels.  Elena has lost everyone close to her: Father, Mother, Real Father, Brother, Aunt, and even Alaric.  She and Meredith Grey could exchange horror stories, truly. Still, for her to burn down the center of all of her human moments, it was painful.

         Here is my concern. Elena burned her past and turned off her humanity.  If the heart of the show loses her heart, what happens to the show?  I appreciate the depths Vampire Diaries takes its characters and its ability to spin good and bad characters.  Still, what happens to the heartbeat of the show?  Perhaps Caroline will step it up even more than she already has, though personally, I'd prefer Caroline spend more time with Klaus.  Maybe Matt, the tenderhearted human will fill the void.  All I know is that Vampire Diaries better get on track.  I liked vampire Elena, but Elena without humanity, that's another story.  She may as well be Katherine.