Four Star Movies - Avoid Them

I really hate to do this because I know it makes me sound like an old curmudgeon with nothing to do but complain, but I am beginning to think that we should avoid all four star rated movies.  Case in point - Anna Karenina.  Friend and I went to see the film at Shirlington, our local "art film" theater and it was packed!  In the audience were mostly grey haired retirees (my opinion) who had probably read the book (Confession - I've never read the book).  We were both psyched to be there, but that didn't last long.  

For some "artistic" reason, the director of this film decided to stage many of the scenes ON A STAGE.  I don't mean that it was a film of a play, what I mean is that action may be taking place in the bedroom and then move to the living room---but the characters would walk behind the stage to move from place to place.  Unlike the wonderful Dr. Zhivago of my younger days, the scenery was just that -- scenery.  It wasn't real.  The train rolling through the Russian snow was a toy train and was staged to make that clear!   Dr. Z would roll over in his grave!

It was difficult to take something seriously when I was watching it, but so were the people on the screen who were in the audience watching the characters on their stage.  Sounds confusing, doesn't it?  At least I had read about it before I went in.  Had I not done that, I don't think I would have figured it out at all.

Other reasons the movie failed for me:

1.  The Count, who is the illicit love interest of Anna looks like he is about 14 with a very skimpy fake mustache pasted on his upper lip.
2.  The romance between Anna and the Count never seemed to light up in my opinion.
3.  Anna's husband, who I understand was a rotten guy in the book, comes across as a saint compared to Anna.

The costumes are fabulous, the jewelry out of this world.  Anna is beautiful.  That's all I can say.

As we left the theater, I told friend, "Let's discuss this when we leave."  I didn't want the other theater goers to know how un-cultured I was to not like this film.  Friend said she would have walked out but she thought I liked the show.

You are forewarned.