As a Russian literature major at university, I have huge expectations of Tolstoy's epic novel being adapted into a movie. This classic is a timeless, liberating literary work for women - in late 19th century imperial Russia, an aristocratic married woman gave up everything for her affair with the young Count Vronsky. I always have different expectations of who should be playing Karenina and who should be Vronsky. Even though both 27-year-old Keira Knightley and 22-year-old Aaron Taylor-Johnson did a good job, they are, in my opinion, miscasts. Knightley shows her passion well but is less convincing as the tormented adulteress facing her moral conundrum. Taylor-Johnson's love in real life is more than 20 years his senior, so he should have had a better grasp as Count Vronsky. But playing John Lennon (his most famous role so far) is very different from playing a young Russian military calvary officer who swept a married upper-class woman off her feet.
Jude Law as the older, cuckolded Karenin, is the best in the entire cast and might earn him another Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Olivia Williams (The Ghost Writer) as Countess Vronsky is also very impressive. What on earth has happened to Matthew Macfadyen (the dashing Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice)? He has gained more than 10 pounds as the playful Oblonsky in this flick.
My strongest criticisms of this movie are the very average screenplay adaptation of such an epic novel by one of the best contemporary playwrights Tom Stoppard, and the campiness of the entire production. I'm sure the film might win Best Cinematography or Best Costume or both. But director Joe Wright's attempt at putting most of the film behind frame in an ancient Russian theatre just doesn't quite work. It also never integrates seamlessly with the story of Levin, most of which was shot outdoors in the fields. The film reminds me of Atonement, another of Wright's works, which was also too campy in style for me.
In spite of my harsh comments, the movie is still worth seeing if you're a fan of period drama.
