Anna Karenina Review

The Plot:

Set in late-19th-century Russia high-society, the aristocrat Anna Karenina enters into a life-changing affair with the affluent Count Vronsky.

The Good:

With any Joe Wright production you’ll see a lavish array of costumes and set design, and Anna Karenina is no exception. This time Wright’s world is almost entirely set on an old theatre stage and the intricate transitions from one scene to another are seamlessly done.

This is a big budget production, using clever means to depict a familiar story while taking a bold step away from past adaptations of Leo Tolstoy’s book. This re-telling can definitely walk away confident that it will almost certainly gather Oscar nods for costume, set, sound and potentially cinematography.

In terms of casting, Jude Law is sublime as Alexei Karenin, (Anna’s passive and tolerant husband) and by doing next to nothing, his presence on screen is scene stealing and captivating to watch. Aaron Johnson (despite his mustache) is a convincing Count Vronsky, a young virile officer who is tempted by the allure of married Anna.

As light relief, Matthew McFadden who previously played the brooding Mr Darcy, successfully don’s a jovial moustache as Anna’s lothario brother Oblonsky. Additionally newcomer Alicia Vikander deserves a notable mention for her innocent and gentile portrayal as Kitty.

The Bad:

Sadly there are a few flaws in Joe Wright’s beautiful effort. First and foremost the film is 130minutes long, which may stretch the patience of audiences, especially those that might not appreciate the film’s new take on period drama.

Though some of the film’s elaborate set-changing choreography works very well, particularly during the early portions of the film, as the story progresses it’s harder to sustain. Once the initial novelty of twirling scenery and people wears off, it may prove a distraction, especially for those eager to dismiss such an approach as heavy handed or pretentious.

However good the cast are, all the glamorous visuals can leave little room at times for them to fully develop their characters. The film’s central narrative is laid out in such clear parts that it can feel almost episodic at times, with gradual emotions making way for lavish production value.

Keira Knightley in the title role of Anna is at least breathtaking to look at as she takes on one of the most complex female characters in literature. However, even the former First Lady of the silver screen Gretta Garbo had trouble tackling the part in 1935. Sadly critics will once again claim that Keira’s performance is perhaps overly reliant on gasps and corsets.

Keira was Oscar nominated for Pride & Prejudice but it’s unlikely she’ll find similar accolades for Anna Karenina. The set and costume departments steal her thunder this time. Fans may also find her chemistry with Aaron Johnson, less passionately convincing than the intensity she found with James McAvoy in Atonement.

The Ugly Truth:

If you’re after a visual feast of beautiful costumes, make up and set design you will definitely not be disappointed. The high concept theatricality of Joe Wright’s production and Keira Knightley’s trademark performance may not entirely charm or convince everyone though.

 

The Avengers Takes Over $1.5 Billion

The Avengers has officially taken over $1.5billion at cinemas worldwide making it easily the top grossing film of 2012. The news largely overshadows the fact that The Dark Knight Rises became on the 13th film in history to surpass the $1billion mark at the box office.

Since arriving in cinemas in May, The Avengers has broken several box office records and is currently ranked as the third most successful films of all time behind James Cameron’s Avatar and Titanic. Following the astonishing success, Director Joss Whedon has confirmed that he will direct an Avengers sequel and is currently writing a spin-off live action Marvel TV series for ABC.

Green Mile star Michael Clarke Duncan dies at 54

Michael Clarke Duncan the towering Oscar nominated star of The Green Mile has died at the age of 54, having failed to recover from a heart attack he suffered in July.

Although best known for his unforgettable performance alongside Tom Hanks as a death row inmate in the big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s supernatural tale The Green Mile, he also appeared in countless films and TV series.

He took starring roles in Armageddon, Talladega Nights and top TV sitcom Two and a Half Men. Displaying considerable versatility despite is colossal 6ft4in stature.

The former bodyguard was instantly recognisable and immediately likeable. His fiancee, Reverend Omarosa Marigault has asked for privacy until details of the funeral and memorial events are announced.

Dredd 3D Review

The Plot:

The future. America is an irradiated wasteland. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington DC lies Mega City One, a vast, violent metropolis of over 400 million citizens living in perpetual fear. The only ones attempting to impose order in the urban chaos are The Judges. Law enforcers, juries, judges and executioners rolled into one. The epitome of these Judges is Dredd. The Chief Judge gives Dredd a mission. To road test a rookie Judge, the powerful psychic Cassandra Anderson. It is going to be a training day. The Judges head for a seemingly routine homicide in the notorious Peach Trees mega-block – a 200 story vertical slum run by the pitiless Ma-Ma Clan. When the Judges attempt to arrest one of Ma-Ma’s chief henchmen, Ma-Ma shuts down the entire building and orders her clan to hunt the Judges down. Our two judges are now caught in a vicious and relentless fight for survival.

The Good:

Well, welcome to the future ladies and gents, and boy is it bleak! It seems that any hope of clearing up the streets of America and living in harmony is well and truly out the window, instead we have a wasteland – oh Joy! But its not all bad folks, our brutal police has seemingly risen to the challenge of governing this dystopian future. Setting the scene for a distinctly fun filled action packed ride. An ultra-violent tale of a normal day in the office gone slightly askew for the legendary law dispensing  Dredd.

Unlike the infamous 90′s Sylvester Stallone version, this re-awakening of Judge Dredd, manages to avoid making this comic book adaptation unintentionally laughable. This time Dredd (Karl Urban) really does work his lower jaw at all the right times, and provides welcome light relief to some extensively violent scenes.  Urban’s Dredd, brings us the comic book character we’ve been waiting for.  Emotionless, driven and without any sob story context for how he came to be the toughest cop in Mega City One. Judge Dredd simply is exactly what he is. So if its action you’re after, then its action you are going to get.

The other characters in the film work well too without relying on huge Hollywood names.  Anderson (Olivia Thirlby) and Ma-Ma (Lena Heady)  are  engaging, understated disturbing and complex; as their characters joust with Dredd for your attention.

If you’re not a fan of comic book adaptations, then don’t be alarmed by yet another hitting your cinema screens. This is a far cry from The Avengers and doesn’t have the “this could actually happen” feel of Nolan’s Batman trilogy either. Dredd really isn’t for kids, and that 18 certificate is slapped all over it for a reason! To top it off, it really is in glorious 3D. Dredd is one of those films that uses the effect for a very good reason. There are some spectacular slo-mo “300” esq moments which really do engulf the audience; with the audio soundtrack pumping through your blood you feel almost as if you are a spectator in Peach Trees complex.

The Bad:

It’s difficult  to find to many faults with Dredd, but if you did watch recent Asian action effort The Raid, then you may find it hard to shake the suspicion you’ve seen key elements of this story somewhere before. It’s unfortunate that both films coincidentally built themselves around the same concept, but if you missed The Raid in cinemas, then prepare to be wowed this time. Equally, those wanting to find out more about Judge Dredd’s origins, may find the lack of backstory frustrating. This film picks a moment in time and concentrates on it, no more, no less.

Finally, be warned, Dredd does not hold back from its violence. Where you’d expect a jump cut to spare you from seeing the inevitable after a point blank shooting, it just isn’t there. Within the first five minutes be prepared to see a head implode in grisly 3D detail. Director Pete Travis (Endgame) clearly delights in making audiences squirm, his approach will either be exhilarating or nauseating depending on your constitution.

The Ugly Truth:

Dredd 3D is a gore-fest action flick which keeps your pulses racing from start to finish. It doesn’t paint a pretty picture of what the world could look like in a few years time, but whilst we speculate on whether or not that is the future spend a tenner in the cinema to check it out in all its 3D glory as its most definitely worth a watch.

The film is out this Friday 7th September, but till then check out the Official Dredd 3D trailer below:

Joss Whedon talks New Avengers Footage & TV Series

The Avengers will arrive on Blu-ray and DVD on 17th September. An alternate opening sequence for the film was recently released online as part of nearly an hour of unseen footage fans will get to see as DVD extras. Director Joss Whedon has spoken recently to explain why so much superhero material got left on the cutting room floor.

“Two factors, One: the movie was three hours long. Two: audiences didn’t respond to it as well in the movie as I think they would as a DVD extra. Most of them didn’t know who this character was or what the context was, and they were like, ‘Uhhh, I don’t know why I’m supposed to be personally involved in this character I don’t know.’”

“The rollout to the Avengers getting to Loki was so gradual that people were getting restless. I thought Cobie [Smulders] nailed it, and the reason I thought it was necessary is because I was trying to make a war movie and I wanted to give context that something bad had happened in the past.”

“In a war movie, you don’t know who’s going to live or die, but you do know that this war happened and that [the characters] are going to be in a dire circumstance, and I wanted to create that atmosphere. I was able to get what I needed without doing that. It was tough. I hated cutting it.”

Following the staggering critical and box office success of The Avengers, Joss Whedon has been given a wide reaching role to guide Marvel Studio’s creative output, including consulting on all their leading superhero franchises until at least 2015.  Whedon spoke of his newfound position of unlimited influence and the new S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series he’s doing for ABC.

“I loved the idea of being a consigliere. Every writer loves the idea of being able to go in and fix a problem and then leave without obligation. It’s fun! I also love these characters and the Marvel universe, and I grew up reading the books, and I’ve been going back and reading the old books and realising that they shaped my storytelling way more than I give them credit for.”

“Now I’m starting up a TV show, which is something I really wanted to do, but I thought it wasn’t going to be a part of my life for the next several years. It’s like a tapas menus of projects that excite me, in addition to the Avengers sequel, which I’m excited for because I’m incredibly excited about the next story that I’m going to tell. For me, it’s a huge win.”