Oscar Watch: "Anna Karenina"

Anna Karenina
Nominated for: Original Score, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design

Anna Karenina is based on the work of the same name by Leo Tolstoy. I can't claim to know the story beforehand, but the story as presented here was very straightforward. Anna (Kiera Knightley) falls in love, lives with her lover, and her life is ruined by her social status and paranoia. Joe Wright, who directed Knightley in other period pieces, did something unique here. The movie is presented almost as a mix of a play and a film. Characters walk from a regular room into behind-the-scenes area above the stage. Characters watch a play, and then find themselves in the scene. It's a lot of style, which made the film interesting to watch. The acting was good as well, especially Knightley and Jude Law. The story wasn't intensely exciting, but it was a unique film. I can see why it was nominated for all of the above. The score was memorable, at least the main theme is. Cinematography was very nice here, with the aforementioned use of staging. And the production and costume design go hand-in-hand with that. An enjoyable watch.