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A few years ago the editors of Shadowlocked asked me to compile a list of what was initially to be, the ten greatest movie matte paintings of all time. A mere ten selections was too slim by a long shot, so my list stretched considerably to twenty, then thirty and finally a nice round fifty entries. Even with that number I found it wasn’t easy to narrow down a suitably wide ranging showcase of motion picture matte art that best represented the artform. So with that in mind, and due to the surprising popularity of that 2012 Shadowlocked list (which is well worth a visit, here Ed), I’ve assembled a further fifty wonderful examples of this vast, vital and more extensively utilised than you’d imagine – though now sadly ‘dead and buried’ – movie magic.

It would of course be so easy to simply concentrate on the well known, iconic,...

Vivien Leigh ca. late 1940s. Vivien Leigh movies: now controversial 'Gone with the Wind,' little-seen '21 Days Together' on TCM Vivien Leigh is Turner Classic Movies' star today, Aug. 18, '15, as TCM's “Summer Under the Stars” series continues. Mostly a stage actress, Leigh was seen in only 19 films – in about 15 of which as a leading lady or star – in a movie career spanning three decades. Good for the relatively few who saw her on stage; bad for all those who have access to only a few performances of one of the most remarkable acting talents of the 20th century. This evening, TCM is showing three Vivien Leigh movies: Gone with the Wind (1939), 21 Days Together (1940), and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). Leigh won Best Actress Academy Awards for the first and the third title. The little-remembered film in-between is a TCM premiere. 'Gone with the Wind' Seemingly all...

Vivien Leigh: Legendary ‘Gone with the Wind’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ star would have turned 100 today Vivien Leigh was perhaps the greatest film star that hardly ever was. What I mean is that following her starring role in the 1939 Civil War blockbuster Gone with the Wind, Leigh was featured in a mere eight* movies over the course of the next 25 years. The theater world’s gain — she was kept busy on the London stage — was the film world’s loss. But even if Leigh had starred in only two movies — Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire — that would have been enough to make her a screen legend; one who would have turned 100 years old today, November 5, 2013. (Photo: Vivien Leigh ca. 1940.) Vivien Leigh (born Vivian Mary Hartley to British parents in Darjeeling, India) began her film career in the mid-’30s, playing bit roles in British...

With summer fast approaching and schools across the nation about to let out, many kids and teens look forward to freedom. However, some schools won't let anyone enjoy there summer and assign dreaded reading lists. So in celebration of The Great Gatsby*, here are the five best movies to give you an assist in getting through this summer's required reading.

William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet

Gatsby director Baz Luhrmann and star Leonardo Dicaprio are no strangers to adapting old literature and plays. Case in point, their modern retelling of the play "Romeo and Juliet." Sure, you could watch the 40's or 70's version for "historical accuracy," but who wants that? Instead go with Romeo + Juliet. Is it good? No. Is entertainingly insane? Yes. In the reports though, you might want to avoid mentioning the "gang wars."

A River Runs Through It

Probably the most boring book (technically a novella) I...

Barbra Streisand is very bad at lip-synching and doesn’t like mornings. She’s very good at throwing dogs’ birthday parties and, when she needs a little push to portray the sensation of yearning, she imagines chocolate cake. These are the things I now know to be true.

If one can ever imagine sitting around Barbra’s Streisand’s home — perhaps in a nook of her underground mall, sharing stories about the legendary diva with her old pals and learning Babs’ “She’s just like us!” quirks — that was the vibe of last night’s Film Society of Lincoln Center gala,...

Greta Garbo may have been mysterious, but there's no doubting she was loved.

The movie star's personal possessions, including her sunglasses, shoes and furs, brought in an unexpected $1.6 million at auction this weekend -- proving the "Anna Karenina" star is as beloved as other Hollywood icons.

“Greta Garbo commanded Marilyn Monroe prices today,” Martin Nolan, the Executive Director of Julien’s Auctions, which hosted the event, said (via The Wrap). “Her beauty, extraordinary screen presence and fashion trending style were proven to be timeless in this extraordinary two-day event.”

Among her belongings auctioned off were her sunglasses, which sold for $13,750, as well as her Louis Vuitton steamer trunk ($37,500), antique gold pocket knife ($8,960), driving caps ($15,000), jewelry set ($9,600), Ferragamo shoes ($8,125), Maltese cross brooch ($13,750), Valentina Ottoman silk overcoat ($11,520) and velvet black turban ($12,800).

The event brought in three times the estimated take at pre-auction.

Garbo was a Swedish-born actress who rose to stardom during Hollywood's silent and classic eras.

Michael Haneke's bleak portrayal of an elderly couple's last days will strip filmgoers of the delusion that love can conquer all

Love has been the lifeblood of cinema, yet its portrayal on the big screen has been narrowly focused. Scroll through the 6,609 titles keyworded "love" on IMDb and you'll notice that most of the films rely on a rather particular notion of what love might be.

They tend to deal with the phenomenon dubbed "limerence" by psychologist Dorothy Tennov. This has been described as "an involuntary interpersonal state that involves an acute longing for emotional reciprocation, obsessive-compulsive thoughts, feelings and behaviours and emotional dependence on another person". The condition arises when the hypothalamus prompts the pituitary gland to release a cocktail of dopamine, norepinephrine, phenylethylamine, oestrogen and testosterone. Unless requited, it usually fades away quite quickly. Only 5% of the population are reckoned to be afflicted at any one time,...

The Observer's film critic, CA Lejeune, applauds a 'mature, rich, mellow' take on Tolstoy's tragic heroine

I suppose more nonsense has been written and talked about Greta Garbo than about any other actress on the screen. Because she has never been interested in imposing her own viewpoint on the public, a legend has grown up around her. She has become the archetype of the cinema woman, adulated, burlesqued, imitated, envied. It is almost impossible to approach her work today without some kind of vivid preconception. And between her disciples and her traducers, the people who defend so hotly and the people who attack her so coldly, the real Garbo, I fear, has been badly let down.

Greta Garbo is, quite simply, a great screen actress. That is to say, she adapts every technical resource of voice and body to the exact scope of the cinema medium, and adds warmth to...

Toronto — Sundance is the festival for low-budget filmmaking. Cannes and Venice are glitzy industry showplaces. The Toronto International Film Festival is both of those and everything in between, but mostly, it's a place for ordinary cinema lovers to see a lot of great movies.

Toronto's status as a festival for the people is confirmed by this year's opening-night film Thursday. The festival used to begin with a small Canadian film as a nod to local crowds that have made it one of the world's biggest and most-prestigious cinema showcases.

For its 37th year, Toronto opens with a big Hollywood action film, the sci-fi tale "Looper," starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt.

Festival co-director Cameron Bailey said "Looper" works on "both the action level and the ideas level," making it an ideal choice for festival audiences wanting something smart and entertaining. And with "Looper" hitting theaters Sept. 28, less than...

Joe Wright's wholly original take on Anna Karenina is a bold, colourful period piece that reunites him with old pals Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, throws in new collaborators in Jude Law and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and throws in a Movember's worth of facial furniture for good measure.Wright and his cast gathered on the Leicester Square red carpet, albeit shorn of those moustaches, for the film's world premiere. Hit the play button to see them in all their finery. brightcove.createExperiences(); Anna Karenina is, of course, Leo Tolstoy's great epic of love, passion and duty set against a backdrop of gossipy, fashion-forward Tsarist Moscow and Saint Petersburg. In Wright's hands, it's a majestically innovative vision of cinema as theatre. Anna Karenina is out on September 7. Read Empire's review here.

By Sean O’Connell Hollywoodnews.com: We are bearing down on the Toronto International Film Festival! Last-minute interviews are being booked. Buzz out of Venice and Telluride dictates sudden schedule changes. For the most part, my Tiff calendar is locked and blocked. I give it until Friday morning before something wonderful blows the whole schedule to smithereens! Two flights, a bus and a train will take me to Canada for one of the year’s most anticipated film festivals, a launch pad for most of the films we’ll be talking about all Oscar season. Which pictures will distance themselves from the crowded pack? Bets are on “The Master,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s scintillating drama that reportedly features riveting performances by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams. I’ll finally catch The Master Saturday morning. But in the days leading up to Tiff, the wires hummed with positive...

This evening, our intrepid red-carpet reporters Ben Mortimer and Colin hart headed off to London’s Leicester Square for the UK premiere of Anna Karenina. The movie has a fabulous cast and everything we’ve seen from the movie looks simply stunning (watch the trailer here).

Anna Karenina stars Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kelly Macdonald, Matthew Macfadyen, Ruth Wilson, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Olivia Williams and Emily Watson, many of whom were on the red carpet this evening for the premiere.

Ben and Colin got to catch up with many of the stars named above as well as Director Joe Wright who talks about the look and feel of the movie and Producing legend Tim Bevan (Working Title) who talks Ben through how they choose which moves they’re going to take on and add to their slate. They also got to chat with Juno Temple who was...

Michael Fassbender has signed on to play an eccentric rock star in the upcoming comedy Frank, from Irish director Lenny Abrahamson, with a screenplay from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy screenwriter Peter Straughan and author Jon Ronson. Anna Karenina's Donhnall Gleeson has also joined the cast and will play the young up-start musician to Fassbender's seasoned vet. Teach us your magical musical ways, Michael Fassbender. Teach us.

Here's three new character posters for Joe Wright's period romance film Anna Karenina featuring Keira Knightley, Jude Law and Aaron Johnson. The story follows a woman making her way in early-19th-century Russian high society. We normally don't see these kind of character posters for a romance movie like this, but here they are.

I'm not big into romance films like this but Wright has made some great films in his career such as The Atonement, The Soloist and Hanna. So I think this will be a film worth checking out.

Here's the Synopsis:

The third collaboration of Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley with acclaimed director Joe Wright, following the award-winning boxoffice successes "Pride & Prejudice" and "Atonement," is a bold, theatrical new vision of the epic story of love, adapted from Leo Tolstoy's timeless novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard ("Shakespeare in Love"). The story powerfully explores...

Page to screen adaptations have been bankable fodder since the studios began feeding celluloid to the movie going masses. It’s relatable and something that filmmakers go to time and time again. Look at the success of The Harry Potter, Twilight, Narnia and Bourne franchises. The studios are returning to the literary well once again with such notables as the upcoming Great Gatsby, Anna Karenina, and Les MISÉRABLES. The latest entry into the fray has been The Hunger Games franchise. With just the first film so far, it’s worldwide box office receipts has it off to a successful start.

Sometimes the transfer, as in the case of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Master And Commander and John Carter books, doesn’t go over so well because in hindsight it only played out to a niche audience and the box office was worse the wear for it. Even the big name stars,...

Anna Karenina

Stars: Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Macdonald, Matthew Macfayden | Written by Tom Stoppard | Directed by Joe Wright

There haven’t been many major screen adaptations of Leo Tolstoy’s novel Anna Karenina, and so the idea of Joe Wright’s film is intriguing, even more so as he’s directing Keira Knightley once again after Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, and the screenplay was written by Tom Stoppard.

Anna Karenina tells the tale of a Russian woman married to a government official (Alexei Karenin played by Jude Law), who is unhappy in her marriage and hopes for a better life. When she is pursued by cavalry officer Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), she thinks she has found her out, only to realise her life has gotten more complicated. Running alongside Anna’s story, is the story of the life of Konstantin Levin (Domhnall Gleeson...

Joe Wright.s adaptation of Leo Tolstoy.s Anna Karenina is pulling back its curtains for European audiences as we speak. The film bowed at the Venice Film Festival (to largely positive reviews), and will open in the UK and Ireland later this week. The film targets the Toronto Film Festival next, and finally will reach U.S. theaters in November. Check local listings for Focus Features. roll out. In the meantime, we have gorgeous and stately character posters for you to enjoy. We know, we know. It.s not the film. But that will be here soon enough. Until then, posters, via Imp Awards: Russian literature might not float your boat, but we remain excited for Karenina because of Wright.s previous collaborations with lithe, beautiful leading lady Keira Knightley. They reinvented Jane Austen.s Pride & Prejudice, then found heat in a steamy pre-war affair on the wrenching Atonement.

The first trailer and poster for Anna Karenina, along with a second more theatrical poster, have given a Baz Luhrmann sort of vibe to Joe Wright's new period romance featuring his Pride & Prejudice star Keira Knightley. The film promises "a bold new version of the epic story of love," and I don't remember posters for romances like this being so striking. Even these three new character posters for Anna Karenina are simple, but promise something fantastical and theatrical (in the sense of a stage play) style to the story. Aaron Johnson and Jude Law get their own posters with Knightley, each with desire, passion and honor. Here are the new character posters for Joe Wright's Anna Karenina (via Imp Awards): The third collaboration of Keira Knightley with director Joe Wright, following both Pride & Prejudice and Atonement previously, is the epic love story Anna Karenina, adapted from Leo Tolstoy...

★★★☆☆ British director Joe Wright is certainly no stranger to sweeping period adaptations, having taken on both Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and Ian McEwan's Atonement in recent years. His latest film, Anna Karenina (2012), is easily his most daring costume drama to date, utilising all manor of theatrical devices to bring Leo Tolstoy's novel-come-paperweight to life on the big screen. Wright may not quite be the new David Lean, but his undeniably inconsistent efforts demand both respect and admiration. Read more »...

Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina is released in the UK this Friday, ahead of its Us release in November, and is highly anticipated for more reasons than you can really count.

To start with, its leading cast sees Keira Knightley take the eponymous role, with Jude Law and Aaron Taylor-Johnson completing the leading trio. Then there’s the fact that Wright is directing from a script by Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love, the currently-airing Parade’s End).

And then, of course, there’s the fact that the first trailer is magnificent. And with only a few days to go before its UK release, we have a trio of character posters to share of Knightley, Taylor-Johnson, and Law.

“The third collaboration of Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley with director Joe Wright, following the award-winning box office successes “Pride & Prejudice” and “Atonement,” is the epic love story “Anna Karenina,” adapted from Leo Tolstoy...

Five writers give their personal takes on the appeal that makes Anna Karenina a literary masterpiece

Francine Prose, author of Blue Angel and My New American Life

Anna Karenina is probably my favourite novel. More than any other book, it persuades me that there is such a thing as human nature, and that some part of that nature remains fundamentally unaffected by history and culture. I try to re-read it every few years. Each time, perhaps because I'm older and have experienced more, I find things I never noticed before. Not only is it a great source of pleasure, but I inevitably feel as if I'm getting a sort of pep talk from Tolstoy: Go deeper. Try harder. Aim higher. Pay closer attention to the world. It's orchestral, symphonic, full of distinctive melodies, parallels and variations that keep reappearing, some of which we notice, none of which we need to...

When it was announced that Joe Wright was going to direct a new film version of Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina," starring his cinematic muse Keira Knightley, most people probably knew what to expect. After all, the two had collaborated on both Wright's debut "Pride & Prejudice" and "Atonement" (both also produced by Working Title Films) and it was easy to assume that their take on the Russian classic would be along similar lines; a handsome period piece taking advantage of the best British actors available, and with a few showy camera touches that would set it apart from your average costume drama. And in some ways, they would be right. But as it turns out, Wright, presumably let free a little by his experimental pop-art action movie "Hanna" last year, was up to something bolder: a heavily stylized, theatrical version that takes the story and sets most (but not quite...

This week was one of the first in a long time where I almost went the entire seven days without seeing a movie, but it was a last minute visit to my mother's house where we ended the night with an ABC Family showing of Mean Girls on in the background. Lindsay Lohan before she went off the rails, a young Amanda Seyfried and a goth Lizzy Caplan before she was cursing up a storm in Bachelorette. The one thing I did notice, however, was just how much Tina Fey's voice stands out in that script. Back then she was primarily known for her work on "Saturday Night Live" but Mean Girls soon led to Baby Mama and then "30 Rock" and now her comedic styling is instantly recognizable. With that being my only film this week it serves as the calm before the storm as I leave for the...

Tom Stoppard says his original approach to writing the screenplay for Joe Wright's new film adaptation of Anna Karenina was for a fast, modern movie about being in lust. Then wiser counsels – including his own – prevailed

The latest film adaptation of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina began in what Tom Stoppard calls "a normal kind of way", though it did not exactly have a normal outcome. Sitting in his penthouse flat in west London with his back to a stunning view of the Thames, he lights the first of the six cigarettes that will measure out this conversation.

"Somebody rang my agent, Anthony Jones," he says, before adding: "It was to ask if I was up for adapting Anna Karenina for Joe Wright. It was Joe's choice of movie."

This is an ideal moment to talk to one of Britain's leading contemporary playwrights. Stoppard is in that limbo that writers experience...

The Joe Wright and Tom Stoppard film of Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina opens in cinemas on Friday, starring Keira Knightley in the lead role, with Jude Law as her husband, Alexei Karenin, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as her lover, Count Vronsky. Some critics have already wondered whether the trio is heavyweight enough for Tolstoy's classic of doomed romance, and there are fears that, after many attempts, Anna Karenina cannot be successfully filmed. However, Wright has also directed Knightley, with some success, in the literary adaptations Atonement (Ian McEwan) and Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), so perhaps the novel has met its match.

We’ve got quite a few new posters to share this afternoon. Briefly: Anna Karenina – A trio of character posters for director Joe Wright’s (Hanna) adaptation of the classic romance novel feature stars Keira Knightley, Jude Law, and Aaron Johnson. The film opens on November 16th. Killing Them Softly – This UK poster for Andrew Dominik’s (The Assassination of Jesse James) crime drama is magnificently patriotic, with a gun-wielding Brad Pitt front and center. The film opens on October 19th. Taken 2 – The UK poster for the Liam Neeson-fronted sequel is fairly simple, but you don’t really need anything besides Neeson and the film’s title to sell tickets. The pic opens on October 5th. Deadfall – The Brazilian poster for this thriller starring Eric Bana and Olivia Wilde. The film opens on December 7th. Butter – A straightforward poster for this film about the world of competitive butter-carving,...

Ever since the 2007 release of "Atonement," we've been dying to see Keira Knightley and director Joe Wright work together again. The two have teamed up on both that film and "Pride & Prejudice," but it's their next project that looks like it will really take their partnership to the next level.

As part of our Fall Movie Preview Week, we can present to you an exclusive new look at Knightley and Wright's adaptation of "Anna Karenina." Considering the way in which Leo Tolstoy's eponymous novel plays out, we doubt main characters Anna Karenina (Knightley) and Vronsky (Aaron Johnson) will look this happy for much longer. So enjoy those smiles while you can, fans of Knightey and Wright, because the story is likely to get much more somber soon after this.

What's most interesting about this image is the fact that it takes place outside of the "theatrical" setting that most...

As Anna Karenina prepares to make its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, three new UK character posters have been released. Featuring the three main characters from the story, we get posters for Keira Knightley in the title role, Jude Law as Alexei Karenin and Aaron Johnson as Count Vronsky. Adapted from Leo Tolstoy's classic novel, the film is directed by Joe Wright, whose two previous collaborations with Knightley have earned the director a trip to the Academy Awards. Will Karenina be the third trip? The film will open in Ireland and the UK in September and will hit domestic theaters on November 16. Follow along on Twitter @DerrickDeane and @Fandango.

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Check out 3 new posters for Joe Wright's Anna Karenina with Keira Knightley, Jude Law and Aaron Johnson. Anna Karenina is the third time Keira Knightley and helmer Joe Wright, after the stunning Pride & Prejudice and Atonement films. Pic opens on November 9th, 2012 in select theaters. Tom Stoppard adapts the script, based on the beloved Leo Tolstoy novel, with a strong supporting cast of Matthew Macfadyen, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Kelly Macdonald, Ruth Wilson, Olivia Williams, and Emily Watson. The story unfolds in its original late-19th-century Russia high-society setting and powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart, from the passion between adulterers to the bond between a mother...

Fall is here and love is in the air -- or at the very least, in the cinema. This season, tales of heartbreak and romance will be making their way to the theater. From coming-of-age tales like "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" to period pieces like "Anna Karenina," these next few months have something in store from moviegoers interested in the more emotional side of film. You can take a look at all the upcoming romantic films in the slideshow below. Keep an eye out all this week for Moviefone's 2012 Fall Preview. Earlier: The Must-See Drama Movies This Fall...

Leo Tolstoy's beloved novel Anna Karenina is the focus of a new film adaptation by director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice) and scheduled for theatrical release November 9th, 2012. The story of a young landowner, Konstantin Levin, and that of a Anna, a young woman of 19th century high society, in their search for love, true life and hapiness. Trapped in a loveless marriage, Anna looks for a better life, but finds only a more complicated one.

I just got done putting together my schedule for the Toronto International Film Festival and it is jam packed with so many films you just wouldn't believe it. Don't get me wrong, too many movies is a better problem to have than too few, but it's never an easy thing to say to yourself, Well, looks like I'm just going to have to miss that one. Hell, I'm having a hard enough time deciding if I want to wait six days to see Argo just so I can make it easier on myself to see Anna Karenina. At the moment, that's what's going to have to happen though I have a few requests out to some very special people so hopefully they'll come through. However, all that bitching that you don't really care about aside, one film I have on the schedule and will be seeing Monday, September 10th at...

While Joe Wright's Anna Karenina will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in early September, it will hit theaters in the UK only days later on September 7 and promotion across the pond is already underway as three clips from the adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel have just arrived. The film marks the third collaboration between Keira Knightley, playing the titular role, and Wright as they go the unconventional route and virtually the entire film is confined to one location as Wright recently said over a six-minute clip from the film, "Just as the Russian aristocracy of the 19th century could be described as living upon a stage, our story unfolds in a dilapidated theatre. We shot almost all of the film in this single location, over 100 sets were built within the theater, creating a kind of fluid linearity. You can walk from one house under the stage,...

Since this will be my first experience at Tiff, I have to say that I’m rather pleased with the films that I’ll be seeing. If I had prior knowledge of the festival schedule before its release, I would have chosen the second weekend instead of the first. Films that I’ll have missed out on include: To the Wonder, No, Passion, Post Tenebras Lux, Antiviral, and Mekong Hotel. Due to my scheduling of films being a little later in the ticketing window, I unfortunately missed out on Anna Karenina and The Master. Not a huge deal since I’ll be able to catch the latter a few weeks later and the former a few months down the road. Holy Motors, which is one of my most anticipated films of the year, won’t even be playing at the fest this year. Another bummer, but what can you do?...

British director Joe Wright's (Atonement) latest movie, Anna Karenina, marks the thirteenth time that Russian writer Leo Tolstoy's classic novel of the same name has been adapted for the big screen, but before you think "been there, done that," check out the new featurette about the movie above. Not only does the featurette offer a behind-the-scenes look at the gorgeous period costumes and sets of the movie, but it includes commentary from lead actors Keira Knightley and Jude Law, who explain how Wright has "completely broken" the "rules of a period film" by setting the classic story predominantly in the "almost magical and fantastical" reality of the theater.

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Anna Karenina - Trailer

Trailer for Anna Karenina

Link | Posted 8/23/2012 by BrentJS

Jude Law | Joe Wright | Anna Karenina...

Above: Ernie Gehr's Auto-Collider Xv.

The vast bulk of Tiff's 2012 has been announced and listed here, below. We'll be updating the lineup with the previous films announced, as well as updating links to specific films for more information on them in the coming days. Of particular note is that the Wavelengths and Visions programs have been combined to create what is undoubtedly the most interesting section of the festival. Stay tuned, too, for our own on the ground coverage of Tiff.

Galas

A Royal Affair (Nikolai Arcel, Demark/Sweden/Czech Republic/Germany)

Argo (Ben Affleck, USA)

The Company You Keep (Robert Redford, USA)

Dangerous Liaisons (Hur Jin-ho, China)

Emperor (Peter Webber, Japan/USA)

English Vinglish (Gauri Shinde, India)

Free Angela & All Political Prisoners (Shola Lynch)

Great Expectations (Mike Newell, UK)

Hyde Park on Hudson (Roger Michell, UK)

Inescapable (Ruba Nadda, Canada)

Jayne Mansfield's Car (Billy Bob Thorton, USA/Russia)

Looper (Rian Johnson,...

Leo Tolstoy's beloved novel Anna Karenina is the focus of a new film adaptation by director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice) and scheduled for theatrical release November 9th, 2012. The story of a young landowner, Konstantin Levin, and that of a Anna, a young woman of 19th century high society, in their search for love, true life and hapiness. Trapped in a loveless marriage, Anna looks for a better life, but finds only a more complicated one. Anna Karenina is directed by Joe Wright and stars Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Matthew Macfadyen , Kelly Macdonald and Olivia Williams. The film is scheduled for theatrical release November 9th, 2012.

Joe Wright's "Anna Karenina" (November 16) looks to be a highly original take on the Leo Tolstoy classic, but it's certainly not the first time (or even the 10th) that the Russian romance has been adapted for the big screen. Below, a compare-and-contrast of six film versions. "Anna Karenina," 1935: Greta Garbo stars in the title role, with Fredric March as Vronsky. Clarence Brown ("National Velvet" and another Garbo vehicle, "Anna Christie") directs. This was Garbo's second outing as Anna K., with her first go-around in 1927's "Love" (see below). The film's budget is estimated at just north of $1 million, with the domestic take at $865K. The film is 100% Fresh, and Emmanuel Levy writes: "In her 23rd film, Garbo's luminous performance, as the adulterous protag of Tolstoy's novel, is way above the mediocre level of the narrative and direction; the film is a remake of 'Love,' in which.

A rundown of the impacts those iron horses have made on the silver screen

This week's Clip joint is by John Carvill. Think you can do better? Email your idea for a future Clip joint to adam.boult@guardian.co.uk.

Ever since the infamous arrival of the Lumiere Brothers' locomotive at La Ciotat Station in 1895, trains have been cinematically significant. Those big old iron horses always made for suitably impressive and technologically exciting cinematic subject matter, of course; but they also offered a compelling metaphor for the experience of cinema itself. Consider, for example, the complex relationship between motion and stasis inherent in each of these experiences: the sedentary train passenger, on a moving train, watching through the 'frame' of a window as the slumbering countryside apparently whips by; the eyes of the seated cinema audience member, presented with a sufficiently swift and numerous succession of static celluloid frames,...

Hey Everyone. Amir here to preview the Toronto International Film Festival. There's less than a month to go before opening night. Those of you who follow the festival’s news regularly probably know that yesterday marked the completion of most of the festival’s strands, so we can officially start salivating all over the program book. Making a “Most Anticipated Films” list is a fool’s errand; Tiff’s lineup is so vast that the list would basically equate to everything that’s left to be screened in 2012 and then some. Titles like The Master, Anna Karenina, Argo (the latter of which I'm anticipating and dreading) and Cloud Atlas will feature on everyone’s list. There are also Cannes leftovers such as Rust & Bone, Reality, No and The Paperboy to be excited for, but I’m dedicating this list, to the pleasure of discovery which is the lifeblood of festivals.

Los Angeles — Music is highlighting the Toronto International Film Festival with a Michael Jackson documentary from Spike Lee and a closing-night film featuring Vanessa Redgrave as a terminally ill choir singer.

Organizers announced Tuesday that Redgrave's "Song for Marion" will close next month's Toronto festival, which runs Sept. 6 to 16 and is one of the key cinema gatherings that kick off Hollywood's fall movie lineup and Academy Awards season. The film directed by Paul Andrew Williams co-stars Terence Stamp and Gemma Arterton.

Lee's documentary "Bad 25" also is playing the festival, marking the 25th anniversary of Jackson's 1987 album "Bad." The film features footage shot by Jackson himself along with interviews with such stars and music producers as Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Sheryl Crow and L.A. Reid.

Toronto planners announced dozens of other films to round out its 11-day run, among them Peter Webber's "Emperor," starring Tommy Lee Jones as Gen. Douglas MacArthur...

This week on Toh, we eagerly anticipate the Toronto and Venice film fests, we review both "The Bourne Legacy" and the surprise screening of PTA's "The Master," we consider the best films of the year so far and more! Interviews: Ted Hope Explains His Surprise Move to San Francisco Dax Shepard Talks Diy Road Movie "Hit and Run," Co-Starring Kristen Bell and Bradly Cooper "Game of Thrones" Writer Vanessa Taylor Talks Streep Drama "Hope Springs" Festivals: Tiff Preview: First-Time Writer-Director Josh Boone Talks "Writers," Starring Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly and Lily Collins Toronto Preview: New Images for "Anna Karenina"; "Les Miz" Won't Make Fall Fests News: "The Hobbit" Takes the Safe Route: 24 Fps Goes Wide, 48 Fps Goes Limited Reviews: Gilroy's "The Bourne Legacy" Delivers, Thanks to Renner Paul Thomas...

Working Title, Keira Knightley and Joe Wright have done well together so far with the period Oscar contenders "Pride & Prejudice" and "Atonement." But the director and star don't always do as well apart with more contemporary material--see Knightley's "London Boulevard" or "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" or Wright's "Hanna" or "The Soloist." We will see if Wright and Working Title's "Anna Karenina," adapted by Tom Stoppard from Leo Tolstoy's Russian classic, will help Knightley recover from recent reviews with a second Oscar nomination (after "Pride & Prejudice"). After all, what better role to play than Karenina, passionately in love with a dashing officer ("Kick-Ass" star Aaron Johnson) as her husband (Jude Law) battles for control and society looks on. The trailer below gives a glimpse of Wright's Expressionist cinematic approach to dropping...

Some new images from two promising fall releases have surfaced. First up is new images from director John Hillcoat’s (The Road) prohibition-era drama Lawless. The film stars Shia Labeouf, Tom Hardy, and Jason Clarke as three brothers who became bootleggers in the South during Prohibition. I caught the film at Comic-Con and thought it was great. The violence is brutal and hard-hitting, but the film is grounded with engaging characters and bits of dark humor. Moreover, Guy Pearce is terrifying as a corrupt FBI agent who’s obsessed with bringing the Bondurant brothers down. Lawless opens on August 31st, and I highly recommend checking it out. Additionally, we’ve got a couple of new images from director Joe Wright’s (Hanna) adaptation of the classic Leo Tolstoy novel Anna Karenina. Keira Knightley, Jude Law and Aaron Johnson star in this visually impressive period pic that’s definitely high on...

This fall will see director Joe Wright seemingly return to the comfort zone of lit adaptations with Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina," which reunites him with his "Atonement" star Keira Knightley in the titular role. Another period drama you ask? Not quite. Wright has shot most of the picture on a single soundstage with interlocking sets built at London's Shepperton Studios with a strong British cast that sees Knightley surrounded by names like Jude Law, Aaron Johnson, Kelly Macdonald, Olivia Williams, Ruth Wilson and Holliday Grainger.   Adapted by Tom Stoppard, Tolstoy's classic novel follows the tragic love story of the titular married Russian aristocrat who causes a scandal when she falls for an army officer. Footage so far has been fairly impressive finding a sweet spot between a contemporary adpatation of the novel and a classic costume drama. An earlier comparison to the works of Baz Luhrmann couldn't be more fitting,...

Keira Knightley has revealed that she sometimes disliked her Anna Karenina alter-ego, to the point that she wanted "to shake her".

The Oscar-nominated actress stars as the titular character in Joe Wright's big-screen adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel, alongside Jude Law and Aaron Johnson.

Not all sweetness and light for Keira Knightley, seen here on the set of her latest film with Mark Wahlberg

"She's a wonderful character, but very strange and complex. I found her a challenging person. I wanted to shake her and tell her to pull herself together. There were times when I thought, I really hate this person," she told the Daily Mail.

"She is needy and manipulative and then there are sides of her that are vulnerable and innocent, and I sometimes think it's the innocence that pulls her down. She will not see reality and when she does, it destroys her."

Keira...

Keira Knightley knows how to ''deal with'' stage fright now. The Oscar-nominated actress used to freeze on film sets, but she has now trained herself to cope with her crippling nerves and insists her time away from movies helped her immensely. She said: ''I discovered that a lot of what I was suffering from on film sets was stage fright. It's easier for me now, and even if I do freeze, I know how to deal with it.'' Keira will next be seen in a movie adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel 'Anna Karenina' - alongside Jude Law and Aaron Johnson...

Keira Knightley knows how to 'deal with' stage fright now. The Oscar-nominated actress used to freeze on film sets, but she has now trained herself to cope with her crippling nerves and insists her time away from movies helped her immensely. She said: 'I discovered that a lot of what I was suffering from on film sets was stage fright. It's easier for me now, and even if I do freeze, I know how to deal with it.' Keira will next be seen in a movie adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel 'Anna Karenina' - alongside Jude Law and Aaron Johnson - and she admits she loved getting to grips with the complex character for the film. The 27-year-old...

Toronto – On July 24th, Piers Handling, CEO and Director of Tiff, and Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director, unveiled some of the films that will headline the 37th Toronto International Film Festival.

According to Bailey, Tiff 2012 will include the “most diverse Gala programme to date with films from Japan, China, India, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Italy, USA and Canada”.

Handling describes this year’s festival as looking “particularly strong” with a wide variety of work from “established and emerging filmmakers.”

Toronto audiences will be first in line to see many “exciting and prestigious films” with further announcements slated in the coming weeks. Until then, here is a sample of what you can expect to see:

Looper (Opening Night film, World Premiere)

Rian Johnson, USA

Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano, Jeff Daniels

Directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom), Looper is a futuristic action thriller set in a...

Joe Wright’s anticipated new adaptation of Anna Karenina sees him returning to work once more with the Oscar-nominated Keira Knightley (Atonement) for what promises to be one of the most bold and beautiful dramas of the year.

The first trailer for the film was so impressive when it landed last month, and now a wonderful new featurette has debuted online, in which Knightley tells us a little about their approach to the adaptation:

“The rules of a period film have been completely broken. Anna Karenina is a story that’s been done a lot. What is the point in doing a safe adaptation?”

A very good question. And one that suggests we’re in for something rather brilliant this autumn.

Starring alongside Knightley will be a fantastic cast, headed up by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jude Law, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Emily Watson, Domhnall Gleeson, Holliday Grainger, and Olivia Williams.

“The...