Anna Karenina.

A host of stars lead the line and a chance for Keira Knightley to make her name as a leading lady. This is a matter of opinion and can divide people that may stumble across the post but for me she has never done well as a leading lady until I saw this film.

Many years ago Matthew McFaden and Keira Knightley starred in Pride and Prejudice. McFaden was the better of the two as his portrayal of Darcy was accurate and similar to the impression that I received from reading the Jane Austin novel countless times over. Keira Knightley was a young woman struggling to establish herself as a leading lady- a little too much fame too soon and not enough time to mature properly. Now she has done just that. Her career stumbled a little but she has picked it up beautifully and this performance tops off a few remarkable performances. Success at an early age but a career peak at almost thirty- I don't have an issue with when it happens so long as it does happen and talent is displayed.

Jude Law was the pick of the bunch. A humble husband and father- more like the father from Pride and Prejudice. A character played with solidarity and solace- a man devoted to his wife and a man of honour, a man who will not hear from other people of his wife's dishonest misdoings. A man who forgives his cheating wife when he fears that death is going to take her and then continues to try and make her happy even though he cannot. The portrayal is fantastic. Never letting his emotions get the better of him and always understanding the importance of every decision he makes, Jude Law shows a completely unseen side of him with this character. It takes great skill to remain almost emotionless when the desire is there to make the character weaker and much more emotional. Stunning performance from him.

One that I wasn't sure of was Domhnall Glesson. I couldn't make up my mind about him. The character was just of one that wasn't ever truly sure about anything.Whilst the character was played well, it wasn't a character that displayed true talent. The character was more of one that someone takes on in their first film when they are making their debut and are slightly unsure about exactly how they should perform once the nerves kick in. He has done better roles than this one but this served as a platform for making him noticed in the world.

The Choreography in the ball scene was sublime- I could not take my eyes off of it. The movement was flawless but it was more than that- it seemed easy, like everyone should be able to learn this very long and complicated yet elegant dance routine to be danced at all balls (because we all go to so many). Just those few minutes made the film so much better than it was already shaping up to be.

Majestic in every way.