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ANNA KARENINA (2012)Movie Reviews
Drama about an aristocratic woman who enters into a life-changing affair with an affluent nobleman in late 19th-century Russia. Cast:Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kelly Macdonald, Matthew Macfadyen, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Ruth Wilson, Olivia Williams, Emily Watson, Saoirse RonanDirector:Joe WrightRelease Date:November 16, 2012DVD Release:February 19, 2013From:Focus FeaturesRating:RLength:2 hr 10 min
Anna Karenina (2012) played in national release to good reviews. • MaryAnn Johanson wrote for Flick Filosopher, "How do you retell a classic tale that we have been regaled with more than a dozen times in the history of cinema and television and keep it fresh and exciting... Like this." • And Peter Howell wrote in the Toronto Star, "...the temperature rarely rises above lukewarm..." More Reviews Below...
Anna Karenina (2012) Positive Reviews (50 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "...perhaps the best thing about this 'Anna' is that it plays up the novel's other couple, Kitty (Alicia Vikander) and Levin (Domhnall Gleeson). They're the true romantics."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 137 words, 11/15/12
Richard Corliss, Time: VERY GOOD "...intelligently ecstatic.... In a way this is opera, but grand opera, with the emotions running at fever pitch and the actors as likely to dance as walk."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 783 words, 09/09/12
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...wildly theatrical... technically dazzling, a marvel of timing and choreography.... But wondrous as all this artifice is, it's also a huge distraction."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 655 words, 11/15/12
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "Joe Wright falls passionately in love with his own fanciful artifices.... Tom Stoppard supplies an excellently clean, delicately balanced script."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 197 words, 11/16/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The story has been filmed many times, but never with this kind of erotic charge. Keira Knightley is glorious, her eyes blazing with a carnal yearning..."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 188 words, 11/09/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Wright's ornate take on Karenina is bold and ambitious.... What it does less well is examine the social fabric and emotional havoc that tore Anna apart."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 616 words, 11/16/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...extravagantly staged and photographed, perhaps too much so... at times it is not quite clear if we are looking at characters in a story or players on a stage."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 749 words, 11/16/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: POOR(cg) "Scene after scene of pointless choreographed pantomime and tricksy stagecraft deliver absolutely nothing in terms of either aesthetic pleasure or emotional dividend."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 619 words, 11/13/12
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: VERY GOOD(cg) "It's a bold approach that freshens up the material, at least until the end, when Anna's descent into depression and drug addiction kills the pace."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 933 words, 11/15/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...risky and ambitious enough to count as an act of artistic hubris, and confident enough to triumph on its own slightly -- wonderfully -- crazy terms."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,225 words, 11/16/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "An ambitious effort that only fails in spite of itself... dares enough to seduce us, if ultimately incapable of breaking our hearts."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 395 words, 11/16/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "It is impossible not to be captivated by the visual artistry... [but] the downfall is that the rich and inventive visual palette vies for attention with the actors."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 807 words, 11/16/12
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...grandly theatrical... The real surprise here is Jude Law, who does the best screen work of his career in the usually thankless role of the dull, cuckolded Alexi..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 401 words, 11/16/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "My resistance to much of 'Anna Karenina' has to do with Wright's antsy quality as a director, which wasn't the case with either 'Pride & Prejudice' or 'Atonement.' "(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 464 words, 11/16/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "...forces viewers to approach this familiar material as fable, farce and tragedy... Then again, you could just enjoy it as a great-looking piece of Hollywood entertainment."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 275 words, 11/21/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: WEAK "...a boldly original miscalculation... it's bewildering... the emotion feels simulated. For all the pyrotechnics and histrionics, this is the true Android Karenina."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 749 words, 11/12/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...extravagantly staged and photographed, perhaps too much so... at times it is not quite clear if we are looking at characters in a story or players on a stage."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 749 words, 11/16/12
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...confoundingly good performances gradually win the movie from Wright's puerile conceit, giving us an Anna Karenina if not for the ages, than at least for an evening."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 805 words, 11/14/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: MODERATE(cg) "There is no discernable chemistry between wayward Anna and her paramour, Count Vronsky... the temperature rarely rises above lukewarm..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 789 words, 11/30/12
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...intelligent, artful, clarifying and very thin.... the film stands in a unique position to the novel - an intriguing adaptation, yes, but an even better object lesson."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 850 words, 11/30/12
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...ingenious, intoxicating... Wright's movie sings, dances and finally soars, even as its legendary heroine plunges to her most self-destructive depths."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 566 words, 11/16/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Stoppard's scalpel-sharp script is a masterpiece of compression, ingeniously compacting 900 pages of realist drama into a swirl of dazzling language..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 416 words, 11/21/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...staggers under such a weight of self-conscious visual style that the story never connects with a viewer's emotions."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 882 words, 11/16/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...it's the emotion, not its object, that gives life real meaning. This new adaptation of Tolstoy's novel, by Tom Stoppard and director Joe Wright, gets that absolutely right."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 658 words, 11/16/12
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: POOR(cg) "It provides a difficult frame for Keira Knightley in the title role, who is the wrong age and temperament to begin with. The result is a beautiful disaster."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 71 words, 11/16/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "You don't merely watch Joe Wright's sumptuous movie, but you waltz with it, run with it, whirl with it... a lavish, crowded treasure-box of a movie..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 386 words, 11/21/12
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...screenwriter Tom Stoppard and director Joe Wright have adopted a surprising and successful approach: They've made it fun."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 379 words, 11/23/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "Even more than most versions, this chamber piece is heated by two combustible characters, not by the winds of war and peace."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 445 words, 11/23/12
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "Wright's film is visually stimulating to be sure, but he never loses sight of the raw human emotions that make 'Anna Karenina' a classic."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 559 words, 11/30/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (11 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...confoundingly good performances gradually win the movie from Wright's puerile conceit, giving us an Anna Karenina if not for the ages, than at least for an evening."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 805 words, 11/14/12
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: OUTSTANDING(cg) "I promise you've never seen it like this.... a massive, boldly imagined work, the rare novel adaptation that's purely, thrillingly cinematic."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 660 words, 11/12/12
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...though it distracts from the realism that makes the novel so immersive, the artificiality does highlight the most genuine aspect of the movie -- the performances."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 365 words, 11/15/12
Keith Phipps, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "...often plays more like a pageant presentation of the novel for those who already know it rather than an independent work.... it's one for the eyes more than the heart."(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 468 words, 11/15/12
Alison Willmore, Movieline: GOOD(cg) "The film may be experimental, but the adaptation is actually fairly traditional, if briskly efficient.... It's a beautiful creation, but a remote and empty one."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 897 words, 06/15/12
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Tolstoy fans will appreciate the attempt to compress so much of the sprawling novel into a 130-minute film.... [still,] the density of detail might bewilder some audiences."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 347 words, 11/20/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "How do you retell a classic tale that we have been regaled with more than a dozen times in the history of cinema and television and keep it fresh and exciting... Like this."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 720 words, 09/12/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...risky and ambitious enough to count as an act of artistic hubris, and confident enough to triumph on its own slightly -- wonderfully -- crazy terms."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,225 words, 11/16/12
Ella Taylor, NPR: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Inner life comes hard to Knightley, and she never gets a grip on the mounting emotional turmoil that threatens to crush Anna... Jude Law commits fully..."(See all of Ella Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 705 words, 11/15/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "It is impossible not to be captivated by the visual artistry... [but] the downfall is that the rich and inventive visual palette vies for attention with the actors."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 807 words, 11/16/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: EXCELLENT "...a furiously ambitious literary adaptation, the best of Wright and Knightley's careers, that tries to make us feel the intense sexuality and terror and grief of a classic novel..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,236 words, 11/15/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Leslie Felperin, Daily Variety: GOOD "...dark, expressionist... the pic feels unmistakably chilly, and not just because of all the snow. Technically, however, this 'Anna' is glorious..."(See all of Leslie Felperin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 783 words, 09/03/12
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...arresting, mannered, gorgeous, stifling, surprising and facile by turns... Much of the action appears choreographed... dialogue delivery often feels arch and slightly stylized."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 999 words, 09/06/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "It is impossible not to be captivated by the visual artistry... [but] the downfall is that the rich and inventive visual palette vies for attention with the actors."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 807 words, 11/16/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: MODERATE(cg) "Going through the novel's basic motions, this film curiously lacks emotional power and strong involvement with the protagonist and her dramatic downfall."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 693 words, 10/08/12
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...risky and ambitious enough to count as an act of artistic hubris, and confident enough to triumph on its own slightly -- wonderfully -- crazy terms."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,225 words, 11/16/12
18.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Anna Karenina (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 18.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Anna Karenina (2012) (50 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Anna Karenina (2012)'s reviews cover 98.2% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 29,519 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 590 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 10 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Anna Karenina (2012)'s reviews on average broke 10 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Anna Karenina (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Anna Karenina (2012) (50 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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