Anna Karenina is based on Leo Tolstoy's novel about the affair undertaken by the title character and the consequences it has on those around her. The images don't reveal a huge amount of this plot except for the central relationship between Anna (Knightley) and Vronksy (Johnson) with a quick look at Knightley in her favourite costume piece, the corset.
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A lot of my worries about this film are encapsulated in the shot of Johnson and Knightley clutched in an embrace, with Johnson looking for all the world like he just walked out of a boy band video. I understand the need to appeal to a wider audience with costume dramas as not everyone enjoys the classics as much as I do, but Vronsky is supposed to be an experienced cavalry officer not the sixth Backstreet Boy.
The fusion of contemporary techniques and the decision to shoot the majority of the film in one interlocking set with your more conventional period piece may well be Wright's great success. I'm a little bit of a traditionalist though, when it comes to literary adaptations, and I can't help but be sceptical that this modernisation may not work.
Anna Karenina is released on September 7th.
Source: The Playlist
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