Anna Karenina (2012)

3/5

Joe Wright's Anna Karenina is a stunning reinterpretation of the Tolstoy novel. No, I haven't read the book, but I imagine it doesn't all take place within a theater. And I'll bet money that it doesn't contain some of the most gorgeous, luscious cinematography ever laid to film. So for that, I must give Joe Wright credit, as he has once again constructed a visual masterpiece. But unfortunately that is where the accolades must end.

I really didn't think there was much here. It's not deep, it's not profound. It's not even a love story. It's basically a story of a selfish person with no self-control in a society whose rules are not so different from our own. Like I said, I haven't read the book, but I imagine it's not as famous as it is unless it contained a little more depth than what I was able to extract here. The acting, the story, and the pacing all failed to impress me (although getting such a behemoth of a book down to 130 minutes is an achievement in itself). While I was able to enjoy the beautiful set pieces and costumes, the astounding cinematography, and the clever directing, that is not enough to carry this movie to the great heights it hopes to achieve. For that, I guess I'll have to read the book.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1781769/

Breaking the Waves (1996)

4/5

Breaking the Waves has the potential to be an extremely powerful, extremely emotional piece, if you get into it. The mood is difficult to get into because of its faded colors, handheld camerawork, and overly depressing plot. Maybe for me it just appears to try too hard to mean something, when it easily doesn't have to. The biggest problem I had was with Emily Watson's Bess, who was actually just crazy. It is hard to believe in a drama without a protagonist you can sympathize with. Also, there is some unnecessary and gratuitous sex and nudity. It seems like much of the plot gets its power strictly from the disturbing sex acts that occur. Some scenes last much too long or are just completely worthless, contributing to the overly long running time. I also really disliked the editing style.

Its length (150 min) can seem to be a factor, but von Trier has parceled the movie into eight chapters, which makes watching it much more manageable. The chapter separators have colorful scenic vistas with pop music as backdrops, which makes a surprisingly significant positive difference in watching the rest of the movie. There is a striking allegory of Bess as Jesus in her unconditional love, her suffering, her sacrifice, and her healing. Some of the dialogue is undeniably well-written and the acting is captivating. This is a violently emotional movie regardless of any imperfections it has. But it strives to be more than that; it approaches art.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0115751/