Anna Karenina, 12/22/12, Best Costume Design, 2012
I’m sure there is something morally askew when you hope a movie wins so you can write some wise-guy review. So sue me. Visually, I thought the movie was stunning, and it was nominated for Best Production Design, Cinematography and Best Costume Design. It won for Best Costume Design. It had Kiera Knightley (Anna). It wasn’t enough to save the movie. I suppose it was extremely naïve to think that this movie would be anything less than a total downer, but I’m often confused for Little Mary Sunshine. The set designs were very interesting, the main scenes took place in a theater, using the stage, the backstage area, etc. as places to have the action (representing, I assume, the artifice and theatrics of Anna’s life with Karenin (Jude Law) and their ‘circle’ of family and friends). I also thought some of the symbolism was trying too hard; while Anna and her crowd live in this staged environment; Levin (Stivia’s friend – Anna’s brother) lives in the country in a ‘real’ house, toiling amongst the workers on his estate. Anna’s affair with Vronsky takes place in both the real world and the artificial one. Jude Law plays Karenin with a severe detachment and coolness that can be easily identified with Tsarist Russia. There were quick costume changes and shifting of scenery which seemed really cool at first, but then got to be annoying and a distraction. The costumes were glorious and almost took on a life of their own; I kind of wish they had. Joe Wright directed the movie; he also directed Atonement with Kiera Knightley. He certainly likes those passionate love scenes. As you can tell from the above lines, it’s very hard to give a synopsis of the movie, without giving away significant plot points, but I would like to try and explain why I did not thoroughly enjoy it. It was too long and drawn out, pretentious in its forced symbolism and metaphor, and I only liked Levin and Kitty, and if Anna had not jumped in front of the train, I was going to push her. This is a movie that I would rate ‘eh’, as in ‘eh, I don’t care’.
Paperman, 11/4/12, Best Animated Short, 2012
This was in theaters with Wreck-It Ralph and the minute it finished I knew it would be nominated for an Oscar (I didn’t know it would win, I’m not that good). I knew from other shorts that I have seen that short films with little or no dialog tend to be very popular because the emphasis is on images to tell the story, and there is more likelihood of universal appeal. Paperman tells the familiar story of boy sees girl, boy is smitten by girl, boy tries to find girl and through the magic of animation, and a very persistent paper airplane, finds girl. It’s simple and whimsical, and lacked any of 21st century cynicism. I have not seen the other nominees, but I was very happy this won. I hope it’s available on the DVD release of Wreck-It Ralph.
