Undescribable Perfection

Memorable, crazy movie

As Good As It Gets

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

I was so looking forward to watching this movie. The book kept me up until 1am for several nights until I finished the book. It was so good. It was encompassing and I was all in. The movie was a huge fail and the director clearly had such an ego he thought he could do better than Tolstoy. Shame.The format was f'g awful. (Pardon the language)

Do not waste your time on this. The Tolstoy classic has been raped, savaged, and torn asunder by the producers and writers of this rubbish which comes across as a kind of costume Russian soap opera. Keira Knightley was so obviously miscast. Her extremely bony frame and face always remind me of concentration camp survivors, terrible. I suppose she did the best she could, but it was painful to watch her trying to make something out of this lamentable part in which she did NOT fit. The costumes were marvellous and some scenery was beautiful, but the movie was a terrible DUD. Count Vronsky was played as a kind of caricature, awful. Jude Law virtually unrecognisable, strove decently in his role. Overall, this was a MONUMENTAL FAILURE. Miss it. 2/10.

I'm not sure if anyone was more excited than I was to see the newest remake of Anna Karenina, besides the families of the cast and crew. Sure, the story isn't that great, but Keira Knightley is my favorite actress, and the preview made it look like a moving art gallery rather than a film. Even though I didn't end up adding this one to my permanent collection, it was very entertaining.The reason the film didn't work was because of the casting. In the story, the title character is unhappily married to an older, pious man, and she has an affair with a handsome, virile, young man. Jude Law was cast as the husband, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson was cast as the lover, and this is why the film makes no sense. They tried to ugly Jude up and made sure he wore a perpetual scowl, but the audience is still very much aware he's still Jude Law! Why would she stray? And if she must, why wouldn't she choose someone so incredibly handsome, charming, and full of appeal that the audience understands and excuses her betraying "Alfie"? There wasn't a single moment of the film that I was rooting for Aaron, and the fact that Keira sacrificed everything for him made me not respect or like her character.That crucial criticism aside, the rest of the film is incredibly beautiful to watch. It truly is an experience, not just a film. Joe Wright, director of Pride and Prejudice and Atonement, knows how to capture Keira Knightley perfectly on camera. She's so incredibly gorgeous, it's almost stunning to believe she's real.The costumes, sets, and production values are some of the richest, most beautiful I've ever seen. The colors both blend and stand out among one another, and if you press pause during any given moment, you could easily imagine the frozen frame pained and mounted upon your wall. While the film took home a well-deserved Academy Award for Jacqueline Durran's costume design, it was grossly under-appreciated in its other technical aspects, and Keira was once again ignored for her incredible performance.Seamus McGarvey's cinematography, combined I'm sure with Joe Wright's direction and the way Tom Stoppard's script was crafted, is what separates Anna Karenina from ordinary historical films. The entire film is sewn together seamlessly, with scenes folding into one another in different creative ways. One scene may show the characters walking off a literal stage, and the camera follows them as they walk to a different setting. Another may show an indoor curtain parting, showing the audience the snow outside, and the film continues outdoors. If you're not expecting it, the style might feel jarring at first, but once you're aware of the fluid structure, it's glorious.Watch the preview to get a feel for the style and see if you think you might like it. Even if you're rooting against Keira because of her serious lack of judgement, it really is an engrossing film with many elements to appreciate, including a supporting cast with Kelly Macdonald, Matthew Macfadyen, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Holliday Grainger, Ruth Wilson, Michelle Dockery, and Emily Watson.DLM warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There are a couple of scenes where the camera spins in a circle, and it might make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

I have never read the book or saw any other version of this film so I came to it w/o any idea of what the story was about. Perhaps the book is better, must be better, has to be better for it to be considered such a classic. the story lost me when she began to unravel. All I could think was that she must have bipolar illness and had she not been so beautiful, those men would have dumped her long ago. By the time she suicided, I had lost all interest in and empathy for her. Also, in this particular film there are places in which the dialogue was so rushed and hushed I could not understand what was being said. Costumes were beautiful and scenery too. Music was appropriate. I just don't get what all the fuss is about for this story. I gave it a 5 for those accomplishments.