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“Anna Karenina,”

I got a little “movied out,” and fell behind on my Oscar nominee watching.

Yesterday, I tackled “Anna Karenina.”  Loved One was in no mood to watch any more movies with me.  Duckie is nursing a twisted knee, so she elevated her leg and watched with me OnDemand.  I know, I know, my movie fatigue is showing through my lead.

I read Anna Karenina way back in college.  Such a good, good book.  So good, I wished to never spoil my mind’s version of all the characters.  If you feel that way, put your fears aside, Jude Law gives me a sexier, broodier version of Alexei Vronsky than my 19 year-old college mind could possibly render.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPGLRO3fZnQ

Most of the movie takes place in a theatre:  on stage, in the audience, and behind the scenes.  A little distracting at first, but all-in-all, I loved the technique.  Back-stage provided insight into back-story and thought.  The scenes from the audience represented lives being observed.  When I think about the themes of Tolstoy’s novel:  love, pursued, lost, found, unrequited; the price of our decision; the impact social convention has on our lives; the meaning of life, Joe Wright‘s film-making decisions are superb.

Superfluous, bourgeois, and bourgeoisie are all words I learned in my Russian Literature class way back when.  “Anna Karenina” brings definition to these words through set, costume, and moving main actors through a frozen scene.  All this came through even on the small screen.  The movie is as thought-provoking as the book, which says a lot from this book-worm who almost always feels the movie falls short.

I’m not sure what category “Anna Karenina” should win, but it surely is a winner.

As an aside: You’ll also see Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) from “Downton Abby,” and Bill Weasley (Domhnall Gleeson) from the “Harry Potter” movies.

Note:  I have little to note about Keira Knightley.  I’m sure she was superb, as she always is.  It’s just that my eyes stayed glued to Jude Law.  (Sigh)

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