I am a fan of theater plays as evidenced by my numerous blog posts and reviews. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised that the movie adaptation of Anna Karenina was able to cleverly integrate scenes on a theater stage along with the "real life" ones we commonly see in movies. Needless to say, I became fascinated and stayed glued to my seat from the very beginning of the film until the credits started rolling.
Anna Karenina is based on Leo Tolstoy's timeless novel. The adaptation was written by winning screenwriter Tom Stoppard and acclaimed director Joe Wright. In a nutshell, the epic drama explores the age-old question: What price would you pay for love?
The story is set in Imperial Russia in the late 1800s and revolves around a love triangle made up of wealthy socialite Anna Karenina (Keira Knightly), her much older husband, high ranking government official Alexie Karenin (Jude Law) and young and dapper cavalry officer Count Vronsky (Aaron Johnson).
Anna meets Vronsky on a trip to Moscow when she visited her brother to help him gain back his wife's favor after committing adultery. Anna and Vronsky found themselves attracted to one another and things led from one thing to another. As their affair progresses, Anna had to decide if she is willing to risk her marriage, family, and status for a love affair that would definitely scandalize the rigid Russian society.
Apart from the complicated love triangle is another love story between rural landowner Levin (Domhnall Gleeson) and his beloved Princess Kitty (Alicia Vikander), who is unfortunately enamored with Vronsky. The parallel stories allow viewers to observe the disparity between infatuation and love and the destructive effects of confusing the two.
Jude Law is amazingly good, as always. Keira Knightly makes a beautiful Anna. I love her dresses and the hats she wore with a veil. Very classy! The dances are also fluidly beautiful. We don't see those anymore these days.
Despite the tragic ending (as most classic storytellers seem to be smitten with), Anna Karenina left me admiring not only its engrossing plot but also its whimsical styling. Director Wright was able to combine gorgeous set pieces and costumes with theatrical devices. As I mentioned earlier, the story literally began on a stage, which makes the film both a visual and dramatic masterpiece.
I saw Anna Karenina at one of the cinemas in Newport Mall in Resorts World Manila. The film is exclusively showing there in and other Megaworld Lifestyle Malls. Eastwood cinemas in Quezon City feature fully carpeted, plush, and cozy interiors as well as reclining, rocker seats with retractable armrests and Dolby Digital Express audio technology.
Aside from four regular cinemas (Cinemas 1-4) at Eastwood City Walk 2, Eastwood Mall also houses Gold Cinema 5 and 6 and Ultra 7 Cinema, which features the country's first fully reclining twin seats where refillable popcorn and bottomless drinks will be served by butlers to guests' own seats.
Another cinematic innovation can be found at Lucky Chinatown in Binondo where there are four upscale movie theaters equipped with state-of-the-art audio and video equipment. Cinema 1 is ideal for romantic dates because of its unique Emperor Twin Seats that are designed to accommodate two people comfortably. They boast of extra leg room and a retractable middle armrest. The rest are 3D cinemas with Dolby Digital Surround Sound equipment.
Meanwhile, the cinemas in Newport Mall define luxury at its finest with four state of the art cinemas. Newport Ultra Cinema is equipped with fully reclining seats with extended leg rests made of premium fabric and high grade cushion for supreme comfort. The 80 seats are laid-out by pair enclosed by a private viewing pod for utmost privacy. Unlimited drinks and popcorn will be delivered by butlers at your request through a call button allocated per pod for personalized service.
Also open are Newport Cinema 2 and 4 and Newport 3D Digital Cinema which are all equipped with the latest Dolby Digital Audio Technology.
Starting February 20, make sure to catch Anna Karenina at any of the Megaworld Lifestyle Malls cinemas. For more information or inquiries, call the concierge at 709-0888 or 709-9888, or visit
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