Anna Karenina

I'm glad I watched this (at this point in time I'll watch any Joe Wright film), but this one didn't particularly work for me. Just way too much theatricality imposed on the medium of film, and what ultimately happens is that the film just distances itself from the audience. Keira is excellent as the doomed title character and Joe Wright breaks out every directing trick he has (and he's got a lot), but all those tricks just get in the way of the story instead of helping it along. See it for the costumes, the Steadicam shots, and Keira's expressive face.

London Boulevard

A lot to like in this film, including the scene above. Colin Farrell can not only wear a suit, but he can really act. This is William Monahan's directorial debut. He was the screenwriter of The Departed so it's no surprise that this is a violent crime flick. Instead of South Boston we have North London and while I consider myself an expert at deciphering all sorts of British accents great swaths of the dialogue in this film were impregnable to me. Maybe that's why this one's going straight to OnDemand over here.

One of the problems with the film is that it's all a little familiar: Farrell plays an ex-con trying to go straight, Ray Winstone plays a scary crime boss, Keira Knightley a vulnerable actress who wants to hire Farrell as a bodyguard (it's not a question of if they'll fall in love, but when). The original characters and ideas, such as Farrell's unhinged sister (played by Anna Friel) are not quite developed enough and the whole thing, including a sort of too-ironic ending, doesn't quite gel. But, as I said, Farrell can really act, and the cinematographer Chris Menges, can really compose a shot, and for some of this film, it's enough. Worth checking out but you won't find it in the theatres.