Anna Karenina (2012, UK)

Sheesh. So it was easier to get through this movie than it was to get through the novel, but I didn't like it nearly as much as the Vivien Leigh version. For one thing, the whole artsy, pared down stage setting thing was just too much. They were trying way too hard to be clever with that one, and it took away from the story. A lot. Plus the adaptation completely missed the purpose of the book, although that seems to be true of every AK adaptation I've seen. At least Levin seemed to have a more prominent role here than in the Leigh one, which helped.

Also, I was majorly unimpressed with the casting. I know, normally I think Knightley and Law are awesome, but here they were completely blah. Of course, it could have been the uninspired script. And the guy who played Vronksy... ugh. I did love Matthew Macfayden as Oblonsky, however. He's awesome.

And Marianelli's score was beautiful. Really helped carry things!

Rating: 3.5

Brave (2012, U.S.)

This movie was an altogether pleasant surprise. The previews really only give a glimpse of what it's really about (a welcome relief after Dark Shadows). I saw this with my mom, which made it even better because it's really a great mother-daughter movie. While a lot of the story is about girl power and Merida finding her way and being herself, it's also about Merida and the Queen listening to and understanding each other. It was really lovely. I hate to give away more of the plot, because it really was surprising, but suffice is to say there are clever lines, action, unexpected twists, lots of Celtic-ness, and bears!

The music was awesome. It sounded like the type of music you'd expect in an animated family film, but it also sounded very Scottish. It set the perfect tone. I also liked many of the other sound aspects, including the voice actors and effects. You can see little blue things by Merida in the poster; in the movie, they are will-o'-the-wisps that help lead Merida to her destiny. The noise that they made was really impressive—cooing, sweet, eerie, otherworldly. If I ever thought about what a will-o'-the-wisp sounded like, that would be it. Just a slice of how good the sound was. I also liked the animation. Merida's hair was like it's own character, and I loved her horse and little brothers and the bears too. I also thought the scenery, from glens to ancient stone circles, was that balanced blend of realistic and fake that works so perfectly in animated movies.

Obviously, I was impressed. I would recommend it for all ages, and especially for mothers and daughters and Celt-lovers.

Rating: 4.0

Intermission (2003, Ireland)

This film begs comparison to Crash in that it follows the lives of a group of Irish men and women whose lives intersect in the most unlikely and also likely ways.

It was seamlessly pieced together, almost like a dance. Parts were laugh-out-loud funny, parts were touching, parts were hard to watch. The writing was very strong, as was the performance of a great ensemble. I would recommend this one.

Rating: 3.5