Yes, No, Maybe So: Anna Karenina
Wednesday, June 20, 2012 at 10:25PM Hello Happy Peppy Cineastes. Beau here again (I recently wrote about The Exorcist) at the request of Nathaniel to discuss the delicious new trailer of Joe Wright's Anna Karenina starring pretty British people in fur coats.
YES
I like Joe Wright. With the exception of The Soloist, which didn't grab me, he has delivered a fairly fascinating filmography. Pride and Prejudice sauntered across the screen, lackadaisically, in love with the prospect of love. A true achievement, it managed the rare feat of cinematic adaptations of beloved novels by satisfying the devoted Austinphiles, while causing those of us less inclined to 19th century romantic literature to swoon in spite of ourselves. Atonement, a much more problematic feature, still holds in my memory thanks to its exquisite craftsmanship (that emerald dress!) and the sweltering chemistry between McAvoy and Knightley. Even Hanna proved to be a fascinating film... [more after the jump]
Hanna was all at once an action picture, a fairy tale, a coming of age story and a young woman's burgeoning sexuality come to the brimming point, where she declares herself a woman by putting a bullet in one. Seven years in, Wright's style is natural, organic, sensual, and romantic enough to already have a signature to it. This looks to be no different.
The Craftsmanship!
Needless to say, what's on display here in terms of aesthetic value is remarkable: the costumes, the lensing, the lighting all steal from the best. It's like a cinephile guessing game, to spot the influences (ranging from Doctor Zhivago to I Am Love to Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast to Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette) in each scene. There is a sense that he directed each of the characters to treat love like a disease, and when one contracts it, one loses his or her footing, a sense of anchored gravity to their desired(?) path. The acclaimed playwright Tom Stoppard is adapting Tolstoy, and one can only hope that he imbued a sense of the abandonment and absurdity of risking your life for the satisfaction of desire.
NO
Aaron Johnson - For all the dissenting opinions out there about Knightley, one thing you cannot say about her is that she doesn't sell the romance. This new co-star, however, has yet to sell himself as an equally formidable scene partner. His upcoming role in Oliver Stone's Savages could change this but with the recent castration of Stone's naturally politicized and controversial style, it's hard to assume it will. The scenes in the trailer... I still find it difficult to imagine that you would give up Jude Law for this boy playing his best dress up.
MAYBE SO
Knightley. Ten years ago, you wouldn't have imagined this stunning beauty to become one of the most divisive actresses of her generation. I have friends who adore her and others who can't stand to watch her. I'm a firm member of the former camp, primarily because of her work with Wright, but what she did last year in Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method astounded me; for all the performances I've seen in all the pictures I've watched in my quarter century of life, I can hardly remember a performance so captivating and yet so off-kilter, so unlike anything I've seen. It rendered the natural charisma of my Fassy dull, and stole the film from Mortensen in a way I've never seen. Knightley is as confident and dedicated an actor in Method as any in her generation. Perhaps more so. Still, to this day, I can't decide whether that was one of the best performances I've ever seen, or one of the worst. What I can say, is that it required an actor of considerable merit and courage to deliver something like that. Whatever the result of her new work in Anna Karenina, I know for certain it won't be dull.
Wright knows how to light her, dress her, turn her into melancholy iconography. She makes sadness look beautiful, and he knows it.
I'm a firm YES on this. Ambitious? Check. At risk of being a colossal folly? Yup. Unique? Indeed. And that's all I need.
What say the readers? Were you not entertained? Will you look forward to Knightley's onscreen demise with the same tenacious fervor you held for Paris Hilton in 'House of Wax'? Or are you ready to get punch drunk and lose your footing to Wright? Let's hear it...
Reader Comments (39)
I pretty much agree with all of this. Aaron Johnson is pretty much the only thing that I have a reservation about in this trailer but I'll give him the chance to surprise me. At the very least it looks lush.
I'm a "Yes". Aaron Johnson was the only thing I have hesitation about, but if I were to break it down the way you did here he'd go in the "Maybe So" section. Everything else looks great and I can't wait to see it!
yesyesyesyesyes
Agreed on all parts. Firm fan of Wright after Pride & Prejudice and Hanna, enticed by the pretty, excited to see Kiera after A Dangerous Method, and while iffy on Aaron Johnson, happy to see Jude Law, Olivia Williams, and Emily Watson!
Yes! And thank you for referencing A Dangerous Method, which was one of my favorite films of last year (and yes, Knightley's performance was one of my favorites, too). I mean, that scene on lakeside bench...how could you not?
it managed the rare feat of cinematic adaptations of beloved novels by satisfying the devoted Austinphiles
I'm a devoted fan of Jane Austen and I found his adaptation of Pride and Prejudice to be a huge disappointment. It lacked subtlety and Austen's marvellous humour and social satire.
So while he made up ground with Atonement and Hanna I'm very wary of this new film.
It looks breathtaking, absolutely stunning. Snatching the wigs of Great Gatsby, Les Mis and probably 99% of the films this year.
I am so sick of people ragging on Keira, there are no words. I just don't understand how on earth she merits the kind of vitriol people throw at her. She is a great actress and I hope in ten year's time people will finally accept the idea of a beautiful, skinny woman being talented as well. I hope it doesn't take that long but it's been ten years since she first appeared on the scene and she has yet to earn a positive consensus on anything. Why, I do not understand. The Brits positively loathe her. But why is it that Carey Mulligan can get away with no formal training by exhibiting the same puppy-dog eyed expression/crying incessantly and Keira doesn't get the same treatment? She has exhibited far more range than Carey and yet has none of the respect that the former basically earned overnight.
I love the book and I hope Knightley will carry off the role.. In A Dangerous Method .. her acting was about the level of a Senior play production.. Sorry :(
I have mixed emotions for this trailer. It's visually stunning and I think it would have possitive notes for the technical craft, but I feel it lacks of heart and emotion.
Around the awards season, I think the film is more likely to received the same response as "Marie Antoinette". Some people love it, other loathe it.
While I'm part of Keira detractors, I'm looking to see her in this. I still think her only great performance post P&P is "Last Night"... Last year, I have a polarizing response for her performance in ADM. Actually I found her great in the OTT scenes, but then, I found her performance on the second part of the movie way too restrained, nearly wooden at times. In some lines ("don't you love me anymore?") she sounds nearly like a school girl in a school play.
why is it that Carey Mulligan can get away with no formal training by exhibiting the same puppy-dog eyed expression/crying incessantly and Keira doesn't get the same treatment?
I don't know why tea, but after watched her on stage in "Through a Glass Darkly" and her excellent performance in "Shame", I have a great respect for Carey Mulligan
I'm a yes to the point of being a YAY! Joe Wright's visuals are always top notch and he brings great things out of Keira. I love her, love him, love the book, can't wait for this to hit the screen. As for Aaron Johnson, his blandness might actually work for this role. From what I remember Vronsky is distinctly unlikeable in the book anyway.
OMG I nearly cried watching this trailer! it's SUPERIORITY IN THE FLESH!
" satisfying the devoted Austinphiles"
Speak for yourself. The only way I can enjoy P&P (and it is very enjoyable) is to remind myself that it isn't really "Jane Austen's P&P" but rather, "Joe Wright's P&P" with totally different intentions and characteristics unto itself. Sort of how I'm mentally buffering myself for "Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby." My Austenphile friend personally considers Keira's performance in that movie as Elizabeth Bennett as "a tragedy."
That said, yes! I'm not a devout fan of the novel this time so I'm glad I'll be able to watch this without nitpicking over the characterization/tone/themes. I support Keira, but I'm decidedly mixed about her acting - I think she's hugely captivating, watchable, charismatic - all the qualities of a movie star, and as you said, her turn in ADM proved that she's also incredibly brave - thus I can't dislike her, and she always seems to pull the right moves - but she leaves me cold irregardless. Her characters always feel insubstantial or lacking in depth, and I have a feeling that she tries to do too much on the screen. I do like her a lot in Joe Wright movies, however, and I think it's because he gets her to tone it down.
Joe Wright and Keira Knightley together have not disappointed me yet so I'm fully IN for this film. With that said, I wasn't enamored with the trailer nor the poster and I, too, have much reservation for Aaron Johnson. I've only seen one film where he has impressed me (Nowhere Boy). His performances in other films have left me cold and the trailer does nothing to convince me he's doing better work here.
But whatever... Knightley... Wright... Knightley... Wright. I'll just keep chanting their names until this movie opens.
Interesting! I've actually never heard any Jane Austin fans say anything negative about Wright's adaptation. I've heard them compare it unfavorably to the BBC version, of course, but nothing else aside from that. I've actually never caught the BBC with Firth, honestly. I hope to one of these days.
To sum up, she's fascinating to watch but always feels very disconnected from me. And viewers like to feel connected to their heroines/leads. To answer the Carey Mulligan question. (Think of Carey rightfully usurping Keira as lead in Never Let Me Go).
Also, forgot to mention that I'm quite excited because my friend (a non-actor) is an extra in this movie as a maid. Yay! She had the opportunity to see both Keira and Aaron Johnson and I think any actorphile will be intrigued to know that she thought that Keira had an amazing ability to switch "on" her character and that she found Aaron Johnson incredibly striking in person, with a charismatic off-screen radiance.
@Brittany- I've had people tell me the same thing about P&P, then come back to me after multiple viewings it and changed their minds. But yeah, I think it's always hard to satisfy everyone when you have such a legacy to live up. I'm an Austenphile and I loved his version of Pride and Prejudice.
In regards to Aaron Johnson, I might be in the minority, but I like him. Granted I think he's really good looking and am 100% blinded by that. But maybe that's the point. When I saw him on Albert Nobbs, I knew he would be trouble. He's TOO good looking. He might be wooden/bad actor but that's because all he has is his looks. Other than that he's a lame ass dude. I haven't read Anna Karenina so I don't know if this applies for that film.
In terms of the actual film- I'm a big yes. Total sucker for these types of films
YES YES A MILLION TIMES YES!
Yes.
Aaron Johnson maybe the weak link, but Joe Wright usually does good on his casting. Who thought an Irish girl would make a fantastic Briony? (Even though the acting parity between Aaron Johnson and Saoirse Ronan is a big gap, but still.) How about Cate Blanchett as a anal CIA agent? Or having James McAvoy play Robbie - who in reality does not fit the physical features of his book character. All of the said actors and their respective roles seem inspired.
I'll have faith in Aaron as an actor and Joe Wright's, alongside the producers who OK'ayed the casting, judgement.
NO NO NO
Who needs one more Anna Karenina. Please? So many stories to tell! She kills herself in the end, people! And who needs another movie in which English actors play Russian people with English accents? "Oh, but this will look good" - You can find eye-candy everywhere, sorry.
And...
I just't don't like the way Wright rapes masterpieces of literature. First, we had Pride of Prejudice, that was fine, but it is way far from Austen in tone. Then, we had Atonement, which betrayed the book by giving Briony a cathartic moment on tv (in the book she took her secret to the grave)... I don't know if I'm ready for another adaptation of Anna Karenina who thinks the book is just another story of love and adultery and ignore that half of the book is dedicated to Levin instead of Anna.
Yes.
Some stunningly bravura moments in that trailer.
Keira always shines when she's in Joe's care...it's been a good professional bond for her to have. This trailer looks so lush and incredible, I can't even wait. Amazing.
I like Joe Wright too. The whole opening act of Atonement is just breathtaking stuff. And his Pride & Prejudice is a joy.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't like Aaron Johnson.
Will this be the eventual Oscar winner for best costume design? :)
It looks beautiful, and the trailer is certainly sweepingly romantic, but I'm not totally sold on Joe Wright. He's not afraid of adapting stories to fit his own vision, sometimes successfully as with Pride and Prejudice (although, as others have said, that BBC version really is unimprovable), sometimes less so, as was the case with Atonement, which suffered from its second half being so much weaker than its first. The Soloist was an outright disaster, and whilst I enjoyed Hanna very much, I did feel it was elevated somewhat by Saoirse Roman's captivating central performance.
As for Keira Knightley, I agree with you, Beau, that her work in A Dangerous Method is committed and fascinating, and even when I wasn't sure if she was giving a good or a bad performance, I was unable to take my eyes off her, which says something. I also loved her in Never Let Me Go, which was such a mess of a film, but she managed to remain a focal point in spite of other more well-regarded actors like Carey Mulligan or Andrew Garfield pretty much falling apart.
I will watch ANYTHING with Olivia Williams in it, who I just adore.
@ Cal Roth - you wouldn't know it to go by the trailer, but Stoppard's script allegedly gives Levin's story equal (or nearly equal, anyway) weight with Anna's. I hope that's true, as you're quite right - adaptations that only deal with Anna's affair with Vronsky or more or less completely missing the point of the novel.
Anyway, assuming that's the case, I'm a big YES on this. Looks gorgeous. Johnson aside, the cast looks like they're fully engaged and doing great work. Knowing the context from the book, some of Law's line readings in the second half of the trailer gave me chills. Can't wait to see a couple key scenes from the book acted out by this cast.
i thought she was best in the duchess,any one agree.
Yes. Yes, yes, YES.
That trailer ticks every single one of my boxes. I can't even... I might even be more excited for this now than I am for Great Gatsby, and I am much more fond of that director and source material.
Of course, with Tom Stoppard on scripting duties, I don't think you can go wrong, even if the casting seems a little "off" in the male side of things.
And not a Russian accent to be found anywhere. It's the fucking "The Last Station" all over again.
NO Thanks.
(Think of Carey rightfully usurping Keira as lead in Never Let Me Go).
She didn't "usurp" Keira. Carey's character is clearly supposed to be the lead. The whole novel is told from her POV.
I'm a yes. I've seen three Joe Wright films (all but The Soloist) and none of them, not even Hanna, have failed me. And Keira-- I love her.
Still trying to figure out though how this is an "experimental" film like I heard earlier this year.
i am so in.
I could see experimental. You catch glimpses of theatricality in reality in theatricality in reality. (The staged ice rink inside a building...) Layers shedding to reveal what at the heart of everything?
It looks gorgeous.
Ah poop, read a spoiler.
@SeanC. Yessss, I realize that. I meant Carey Mulligan, who at the time had really only been famous for about a year - taking the lead role over well-established A-lister Keira. I was commenting on how very natural that arrangement felt, with Keira in supporting and Carey in lead.
It looks gorgeous, Wright certainly has a good eye. However I'm still recovering from Hanna as I thought it was rubbish.
Knightley is defintely improving as an actress.
They filmed this in a single soundstage. That's how it's experimental. No location shots. Not filmed in Russia but London. All British actors, etc.
Don't really like the trailer, but this is going to be a major Oscar contender, so I'll see it regardless.
aaron johnson makes me swoon. he's the reason i even stopped to look at this trailer. when i saw tom stoppard, i was sold!
That was Jude Law?
Aaron Johnson aside, I'm a YES to this.