Movie Night - Tuesday 4

Hello Friends.. welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. Just 4 questions each week. So glad you are joining in and the more the merrier!

Books.. TV.. Movies are the topic of the week.

1.  A movie theme song will play every time you walk in the room.. what is it? (consider asking family or friends).

I misread the question earlier so I've deleted my original answer. I pick the theme from the movie, 'The Way We Were".

2. What movie are you eager to see... what book are you eager to read... what TV program are you interested in most?

I don't have any movies that I'm eager to see. It seems like the really great movies are no longer being made. If they're considered great by today's standards they are often about themes that are too dark and evil for my liking. I haven't even heard of many movies in the last few years that I'd really like to see.  But at the moment, there is a new movie I'd like to see by director Christopher Nolan, called "The Odyssey".  It's based on Homer's text of the same name. I might try to see it if the movie stays in theatres long enough.  It's a long movie at almost 3 hours but I hear it's good.  You've probably seen it talked about on television or read about it online.

I don't have one book in particular that I'm eager to read. I have a long list of books on my 'to read' list that I can choose from and I often just pick interesting sounding titles from the library shelves. I've just finished reading a book called, The Stolen Life of Collette Marceau  by Kristen Harmel. I enjoyed it very much.  Here is how one website describes it.

After the long-missing diamond bracelet connected to her family's World War II tragedy appears in a Boston museum, aging jewel thief Colette Marceau searches for answers. Her investigation reopens the story of her mother's Resistance work in occupied Paris and her sister's disappearance.

Currently I'm reading Summer of Songbirds by Kristy Woodson Harvey. It's about four women who come together to save the summer camp that brought them together as friends and changed their lives. I'm loving it so far.

3. Is there a book/movie/TV program you often think about or that affects you in some way?

I'm a romantic at heart so I like and think about romantic movies.  The issue with them is that they usually end in some kind of tragedy which I don't like but I guess that is what sells movies. I'm thinking in particular of Anna Karenina based on Leo Tolstoy's novel by the same name and Out of Africa based on several books by Karen Blixen writing under her pen name, Isak Dineson.  I'm posting a clip here from Out of Africa where Karen reads a poem at the grave site of her lover Denys Finch-Hatton.

4. OK friend, it's your turn to organize our Blogger Movie Night where we get together as a group for snacks and movies!  What movies have you planned for us tonight and what snacks are we going to have?

I think it will have to be a sleep over night because the movie, Gone With the Wind is very long, clocking in at 3 hours and 41 minutes.  I'm thinking snacks with a southern flavour such as pimento cheese spread to have with crackers and celery, cheese sticks, perhaps some devilled eggs and some candied pecans. None of these are foods I typically eat in the north where I live but some of you are probably familiar with them.  For drinks we can have iced tea. Hmm, maybe I need to make dinner instead or invite everyone to bring a dish to potluck dinner.  I hope you'll come.

Anna Karenina

From time to time I like to participate in memes; my favourite ones being Skywatch Fridays and Our World Tuesday.  I used to participate in Scenic Sunday too except that it doesn't seem to be so active.  The last week on line was from October. Oh well, I will present anyway *wink.

I was at a local mall yesterday to see the new version of the movie "Anna Karenina". It is a movie I have seen before when Greta Garbo played the role of Anna.  I saw it as a child and the tragedy of Anna's story made such an impact on me that I never forgot the film.

Many years later, I read the book while on a journey to Kenya. I enjoyed the book very much though I felt it was overly long.  Of course this classic, by Leo Tolstoy, was translated from Russian into English and that likely had a bearing on the length of the book too.

If you take the time to view both the original trailer for the film and the trailer for the latest remake, you will see  just how differently the films were marketed to the public.


The actors Jude Law, as Aleksei Karenin the, husband to Anna, as played by Keira Knightley, are superb.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson, plays Count Vronsky, Anna's love interest, but I don't think he fully succeeded in bringing his character to life.  He looked great in his military uniform and carried himself well as a Count and as a cavalry officer.  But I did not feel a depth to the character that Count Vronsky needed to portray so we can understand why Anna would throw away her life for him.  In the book you get a better sense of why Anna finds him irresistibly attractive.

The other thing I did not like about the film is that it is set in a theatre.  This means you are constantly watching set changes glide in and out of the screen while you are trying to follow the story line, The sets are absolutely beautiful, but I personally did not like this approach.  I found it all quite distracting and unsatisfying.  When Count Vronsky falls off his stead at the racetrack, I would have far rather watched him ride his horse on a real track rather than on the theatre stage.  The theatrical approach worked for some of the film but overall I don't think it really worked for most of the story.  Finally, some of the actors, like the one who played Ann's brother, Steva, had a "campy" approach to his character and I don't think it was the right approach for the tone of the story which is rather serious.

The way this film is shot in a theatre and with some over the top, actors reminded me a lot of the film "Moulin Rouge".  However,  "Moulin Rouge" was a musical and I loved it.  "Anna Karenina" is not a musical and I didn't love it.  By the time two hours had passed, I was tired and eager to get out of the theatre but there was still more film to see.

I wouldn't discourage you from seeing this film.  Unlike me, you might actually enjoy the theatre setting.  You will definitely find the costumes and sets both sumptuous and beautiful. In addition, the tragic story of the consequences of illicit love does come through strongly as a result of  the marvellous acting of Jude Law and Keira Knightley.

While at the mall I was also fortunate to have seen a surprise dance performance.  I managed to capture it on video and will be sharing it in a few days.  Please come back and check it out as it is rather unique and will be a treat for you.