The classic Tolstoy novel is turned into...well, it's not clear what exactly this is meant to be. The filmmakers are apparently trying to be clever and unconventional, but sometimes it's better to follow convention. Director Wright had great success with "Pride and Prejudice" and "Atonement," both featuring Knightley, but he seems to be totally lost here, unable to overcome the inept screenplay by Stoppard. While much of the film is conventionally shot, at times the camera moves back to reveal that the action is not taking place in 19th century Russia but on a stage. Shakespeare did say, "All the world's a stage." He also said, "Life is a tale told by an idiot," and he was looking at the filmmakers of this travesty when he said it.
Review of Anna Karenina
