Anna Karenina

I read Tolstoy's novel when I was in high school.

Tonight we saw the movie.

I didn't like how the story is framed.  At the beginning of the movie the audience is taken to an old theater, where a play, set in Russia in1874, is about to begin.  As you watch you become involved in the story, and then the director pulls the camera back to show you the prosceneum and footlights, reminding you that this is only a play.

Not only is this device distracting, it doesn't add to the story.  And considering Tolstoy's works were among the first to incorporate "realusm" into a novel, I really don't understand why the director chose to use this device.

That being said, I really did enjoy the movie.  Beautifully filmed, exquisite costumes.  Jude Law was perfect as the aloof, emotionally detached Karenin.  Keira Knightley was beautiful as the passionate, tortured Anna.  Though I did think Aaron Taylor-Johndon was a bit effeminite for Vronsky.

I should mention. . .although Drew read the novel many years ago, he'd forgotten most of the details.  And he didn't pick up on a lot of those details while watching the movie.  My guess is that someone unfamiliar with the novel might miss out on the subplots, the foreshadowing concerning the train accident and Dolly's marriage, etc.

Still, I enjoyed the movie.

And it occurs to me I have to find that hat . . .I have a (fake) fur hat just like the one Anna wears on the train . . .that hat will be great during the next blizzard . . .