Review of Anna Karenina (2012) by Dana F — 09 Aug 2013

This is a supremely entertaining movie, mostly thanks to the innovative directing. It is both artfully and playfully directed, in an unusual way that I don't think I've seen before, and that alone is worth a high rating (think Pride & Prejudice meets Moulin Rouge).

However, the heart of the story is lacking and I didn't fully identify with the characters, specifically Anna, like I should have. It's gorgeous and interesting to watch, but doesn't affect you emotionally.

The character of Vronsky I don't think was flushed out well enough, I had no idea who he was as a character, therefore I didn't really believe how or why Anna would fall in love with him. And without that, there isn't much impetus for the story.

The timeline also gets really confusing by the second half of the film, which seemed rushed. Still, it's gorgeous and I was totally enamored with the style of this film. But if you don't get into that sort of thing, I'd skip it.