A cinematically inventive and seemingly brisk adaptation of an exhaustive, very non-brisk novel. Joe Wright and Tom Stoppard do a magnificent job paring the source text down into a beautiful, heartbreaking film.

i enjoyed watching Alicia Vikander act. Also a pleasure to watch Kelly Macdonald act. The director directed Keira in ATONEMENT; they obviously work well together. Jude Law is nearly unrecognizable with his hair in front of his head, shaved back to the middle of said head. He plays Anna's husband. Competently. Love, or lust, can be destructive to sensitive young ladies. The same theme that drove Madame Bovary, though not expressed in the same way.

I had high hopes for this movie. I looked forward to enjoying a lavish historical tale featuring some of my favorite actors (Jude Law, Keira Knightley). I ended up disappointed. I found it confusing and hard to follow, with the director's conceit of having the action all happening "onstage." The settings were often quite lovely but I became bored and left unsatisfied. There are plenty of other movies out there that serve their stories better. I don't recommend this one.

I know it's a "Classic." Done well, but the subject-line is tired. Costumes, setting, passion. C+

Not really a fan of movies that seem to only take place on one stage and nowhere else. Only giving 3 stars for the acting which I thought was pretty good.

Way too long and boring. Kept jumping around from scene to scene.

A breathtakingly beautiful rendition of the Russian classic. I just wish someone else, anyone else, had played Vronsky.

This is a 2012 British historical romance directed by Joe Wright, adapted by Tom Stoppard from Leo Tolstoy's 1877 novel of the same name.
The film depicts the tragedy of Russian aristocrat and socialite Anna Karenina, wife of senior statesman Alexei Karenin.
Anna's affair with the affluent officer Count Vronsky leads to her ultimate demise.
Although the theme remains intact, setting most of the actions on a theater stage appears somewhat awkward.
I don't like foolishly-choreographed social dance in the ballroom.
I've seen a dog fart in a concert for the first time.
I've never heard a dog fart in my whole life. :-)
In any case, it seems to be a vividly painted historical drama reflecting on the Russian high society of the late 19th century.

This is really a wonderful movie!! of course it will be - I'm not surprised, because it is one of Leo Tolstoy novels. It is really the best romantic movie that I've ever watched, my favourite character is Anna's husband he is really the nicest man that I've ever seen. He was ready to forgive his wife after all what she had done, and the most character that I hate is Anna's lover because he stop loving her after all what she done for him, and I hate Anna too because she kept doing mistakes and never learn and admit that she had chosen wrong. I give this movie 8/10. This movie is inappropriate for kids under 15 years old. - @rahmamawlood of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library

A more interesting and vivid adaptation of the book than the Garbo version. This version had its flaws (ie Sergei was about as animate as the bed he lay in), but overall I enjoyed it. The visual play Wright added to the story did occasionally miss its mark, but was largely on point.