Review of Anna Karenina (2012) by Compi24 — 10 Sep 2020

It never quite reaches Baz Luhrmann levels of obnoxiousness, but, my God is Joe Wright's 2012 adaptation of "Anna Karenina" showy and indulgent. I normally appreciate Wright's habit of implementing inventive and sometimes downright experimental filmmaking techniques in order to jazz up a lackluster narrative (i.

E. "Hanna" or "Darkest Hour"). This time around, however, I just couldn't get on board with whatever was attempted. The whole "theatre/stage" motif was impressive from a purely logistical standpoint.

Beyond that, though, it was confusing as all get-out. At numerous points throughout the film, I found myself taking in the imagery and immediately asking myself, "what the hell am I looking at?" The performances are fine and the story is digestible, but I won't be remembering much else from this.

That is, unless someone ever asks me in the future if I can remember a case in which a director really got in the way of his own movie.