Kelly MacDonald

Anna Karenina Interview - Kelly Macdonald
Interview with Kelly Macdonald, who plays Dolly in Anna Karenina.
1. On what makes the story of Anna Karenina relevant.

Read more at Trailer Addict 

Anna Karenina - earlier adaptations

A feast of Annas

I know I am coming late to this, but tonight I am off to the Clapham Picturehouse to see Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina with Keira Knightley. Despite the so-so reviews, I am intrigued to see how the film-set-in-a-theatre idea comes off. Tolstoy’s great novel is also probably the novel that would run Middlemarch the closest if I was allowed only a single book on a desert island (assuming I had a complete Shakespeare, of course). Which led me to muse on earlier screen manifestations of this tale of love, loss and redemption – and across the jump I have assembled seven YouTube clips of trailers and extracts, as well as the links that will take you to the two parts of a complete (legal) adaptation from Mosfilm with spectacular visuals made in the Soviet Union in 1967. For more about these and other adaptations, see this Wikipedia list. Enjoy.

1. Love, 1927, MGM, directed by Edmund Goulding and (uncredited) John Gilbert
A scene from the comparatively little-known silent adaptation starring Greta Gardo and John Gilbert – Vronsky speaks with Anna on Easter Night in St Petersburg’s cathedral. The astonishing art direction is by Cedric Gibbons and Alexander Toubuloff; the luminous cinematography is courtesy of William Daniels.

2. Anna Karenina, 1935, MGM, directed by Clarence Brown
Eight years later, Greta Gabo reprised the role, this time with Fredric March as Vronsky and Clarence Brown as director. Daniels and Gibbons both contributed to this production as well, although the gowns this time were by Adrian. This is the trailer from the time.

3. Anna Karenina, 1961, BBC, directed by Rudolph Cartier
This is the trailer for a remarkable small-screen version with Claire Bloom and Sean Connery, about which I blogged here (there are some nice screen-grabs too).

4. Anna Karenina, 1967, directed by Aleksandr Zarkhi, part one

5. Anna Karenina, 1967, directed by Aleksandr Zarkhi, part two
A truly spectacular – and very watchable – adaptation which was supposed to compete in the 1968 Cannes Film Festival – before, that is, the event was cancelled because of les evenements of May that year. Both parts are officially posted on YouTube in full by Mosfilm (there are over two hundred other Russian movies to choose from as well) and you can use the “captions” control to access English subtitles.

6. Anna Karenina, 1977, BBC, directed by Basil Coleman
This is the episode one (of ten) opening of a classic serial from the BBC, with Nicola Pagett and Eric Porter. It’s certainly studio bound, but it is far from negligible,

7. Anna Karenina, 1997,  Icon Entertainment, directed by Bernard Rose
Sean Bean was not everyone’s idea of Vronsky in a comparatively low-budget Hollywood version, but this extract from the ball scene is fun – Sophie Marceau plays Anna.

8. Anna Karenina, 2000, Company Pictures for Channel 4, directed by David Blair
I recall rather liking this comparatively conservative small screen version, which stars Helen McCrory and Kevin McKidd. Here is the opening – but all of it is currently available (presumably illegally) on YouTube. so you have the chance to make up your own mind.

9. … plus the official trailer for Boris Eifman’s full-length ballet to music by (who else?) Tchaikovsky, which was premiered in St Petersburg in 2005.

Source (with videos): Illuminations Media

Kelly MacDonald: 'Anna Karenina' photos, Brave movie map

• Kelly Macdonald in new photos from Anna Karenina 

Another set of photos have been released for the upcoming Joe Wright film ANNA KARENINA, and just like everything else we’ve seen from the film, these shots are beautiful.

The costumes, settings and lighting make me want to see this film alone, add in the excellent cast and it’ll be tough for ANNA KARENINA to be poor film. 

Read and see more at Flix66

• VisitScotland launches Brave Movie Map 

Families planning a trip to Scotland can now pick up a map highlighting locations across the country that feature in Brave, the new Disney-Pixar animated movie. Created by VisitScotland, the map directs holidaymakers to attractions such as Tolquhon Castle near Aberdeen and various landscapes that inspired the filmmakers. The guide is available free of charge from tourist information centres throughout the country and is divided into regions, allowing visitors to follow in the footsteps of Merida, the heroine voiced by Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald. 

Mike Cantlay, chairman of VisitScotland, said the map allows the millions of people around the world who have been 'captivated' by Brave to 'experience the real thing'. He added: 'This fantastic Movie Map allows visitors to explore the castles, culture and myths of Scotland - where legends come to life.' 

The tourism agency set up a partnership with Disney to take advantage of the opportunity represented by the new film, which it hopes will generate £140m for the Scottish economy. 

Source: Opodo

Kelly MacDonald: 'Anna Karenina' interview

Anna Karenina: Interview with Matthew Macfadyen, Alicia Vikander, Kelly Macdonald, Olivia Wilson, and Emily Watson

Arriving in US theatres on November 16, 2012, “Anna Karenina” is acclaimed director Joe Wright’s new vision of the epic story of love, stirringly adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s great novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard. The film marks the third collaboration of the director with Academy Award-nominated actress Keira Knightley and Academy Award-nominated producers Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Paul Webster, following their award-winning box office successes “Pride & Prejudice” and “Atonement.” The film also stars Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kelly Macdonald, Matthew Macfadyen, Domhnall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson, Alicia Vikander, Olivia Williams and Emily Watson.

The parallel story of Levin’s love for Kitty is gentler and more innocent than Anna’s for Vronsky, yet it too falters under the scrutiny of society. Actor Domhnall Gleeson had auditioned for director Joe Wright, but it wasn’t until he performed the part of Levin at a table read – at which his empathetic take on the character impressed one and all – that the part suddenly became his. One facet of the material that the actor sought to convey was “the wry sense of humor shooting through it, which I appreciate; this story gets to the depths of what it means to be alive.”

As Gleeson sees it, “Levin’s idea of love is at the same time very pure and blinkered, in that he sees only this one person to love; he’s shooting for the absolute ideal, which isn’t always compatible with real life. But in the story, he is one of the only people who spends any time in the real world; he is in a very real place with love, one not based on artifice. That is mirrored in the way he chooses to live his life, which is at a distance from St. Petersburg and Moscow society – away from the theatre, literally. He makes his life in the real world out in the countryside, and is in fact very preoccupied with farming. He is outside sophisticated society.

“Even so, he’s caught between the aristocracy and the serfs; he’s trying to find a home in nature while the woman he loves is in a place which is artificial to him. But they do have a true connection, which means that Levin has to journey to try to win Kitty and bring her back to his real world. He realizes that she’s an even better woman than he thought.”

Kitty is played by up-and-coming Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, in her first English-language role. The role promised an emotional journey for Vikander to undertake, with her character beginning as an innocent and radiant ingénue before experiencing heartbreak upon Vronsky’s rejecting her and then coming to terms with life and love.

The actress’ years of real-life training as a ballet dancer proved beneficial. She notes, “Domhnall and I worked with [choreographer] Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui to get into contact with the characters through movement. How Kitty walks or runs into a room at the start of the story and how she is in the last scenes, there’s a complete difference. She proves herself to be very un-judgemental, considering her status in society, and this better prepares her for what comes later.

Invited to reunite with the filmmakers and leading lady with whom he made “Pride & Prejudice,” BAFTA Award winner Matthew Macfadyen leapt at the chance to portray Oblonksy, Anna’s brother. The actor enthuses, “Oblonsky is incorrigible; he’s disarmingly direct and brings humor and warmth to the story as he tries to help the people he loves and cares about, particularly in attempting to be a matchmaker for his friend Levin.

“Oblonsky is one of those people who lights up a dinner party when they come in. He has a wandering eye. He likes the pleasures of the flesh, drinking and eating; to me, he was a very attractive character because he doesn’t suffer from terrible introspection. I don’t see him as ‘a bad man,’ and I hugely enjoyed playing this part – except for the moustache I had to grow.”

“Matthew is a hoot in this role,” enthuses Emmy Award-winning actress Kelly Macdonald, who signed on to play Dolly, wife of Oblonsky and sister-in-law to Anna. “He’s played Oblonsky in just the right way: charismatic, frustrating, lovable – and selfishly addicted to passion.”

The actress felt that she understood Dolly’s temperament, remarking that “Dolly is married to a man she adores, she’s passionate about her family, and she’s pregnant all the time. She is completely happy with her lot in life before finding out about her husband’s affair with the woman who is meant to be looking after their children.

“So it’s devastating for her when she realizes that she’s been made a fool of and her relationship with Anna, whom she admires and with whom she shares a sisterly love, helps her. She refines her focus on family. I feel that in the end Dolly resigns herself to his behavior; she loves her husband and she knows he loves her. But she is not brave enough to attempt what Anna does, which is to seek an independent life – one that no woman in that time and place could really have.”

Read more at Emmanuel Levy

Kelly MacDonald: 'Anna Karenina' trailer

Anna Karenina: From Russia with love

Keira Knightley is reunited with Atonement director Joe Wright for the latest adaptation of Anna Karenina. The Independent's Geoffrey Macnab looks at the enduring appeal of Tolstoy's tragic heroine; the article includes a trailer of the film, featuring Kelly MacDonald

Read and watch the trailer at The Independent

Kelly MacDonald: Anna Karenina featurette

New Featurette for Anna Karenina – ‘A Bold New Vision of the Epic Story of Love’

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.

Read more at Hey U Guys

The movie will be released to theaters on November 7, 2012 (limited) according to FilmEquals

Autumn/Winter Preview: 'Anna Karenina'

One of the September movies that everyone really should be looking forward to is the big screen adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina.

And why should everyone be excited? Well it marks the return to the director's chair for the fantastic Joe Wright in what will be his first movie since Hanna.

Wright has already made an impact with Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, The Soloist and Hanna and he looks set to do the same as he reunites with Keira Knightley.

This will be the third time that the pair have worked together but the first time since 2007 as the Oscar nominated actress will take on the title role.

And Knightley is joined by a superb support cast as Aaron Johnson, Jude Law, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Emily Watson will all star alongside her.

Wright is one of the most exciting young Brit directors and adaptations really do seem to be his thing as he brings the story faithfully off the page while putting his own spin on it.

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 and her children.

As Anna (Knightley) questions her happiness, change comes to her family, friends, and community.

Anna Karenina could be one of the early Oscar contenders as we all know how the Academy are suckers for a good period piece - not to mention that the source material is highly acclaimed.

This movie looks set to be an incredibly lavish production and Wright always seems to bring the best out of Knightley while she seems to thrive under his direction.

This is one of the movies that I have been looking forward to ever since I heard that Wright was on board and an early trailer shows that it will not disappoint.

Anna Karenina is released 7th September

Source (with trailer): Female First 

Kelly MacDonald: Brave and Anna Karenina premieres

Edinburgh will be the movie capital of the world on June 30 when it hosts the European premiere of Disney Pixar’s latest animated blockbuster, Brave. And it’s only fitting, since spectacular fairytale Brave is set in Scotland and features the voices of Billy Connolly, Robbie Coltrane, Craig Ferguson, Kevin McKidd and Kelly Macdonald.

Alex Salmond announced yesterday that Brave, tipped to be as big as Pixar classics Toy Story and Finding Nemo, will get its first European screening when it closes the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Its Scots audience will see it just eight days after its premiere in the States and nearly three weeks before the rest of the UK.

The First Minister said Brave was the most high-profile film ever to have a Scottish theme.

He said the premiere would be “an immense opportunity” to boost Scottish tourism and business, and he forecast that Brave would raise awareness of Scotland all over the world.

VisitScotland have already teamed up with Disney in a £7million campaign – the biggest in the tourism agency’s history – to use the film to promote Scotland as a destination.

Brave tells the story of Princess Merida, voiced by Trainspotting star Kelly, who defies an ancient custom and unleashes chaos in the kingdom.

Billy Connolly plays her dad, King Fergus, with Emma Thompson as Queen Elinor. Robbie and Craig as two nobles, and Julie Walters as a wise woman who advises the young princess.

Brave is the latest in a string of major movies to feature Scotland. Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig, Scarlett Johansson and Halle Berry have all filmed here in recent months.

Source: Daily Record 

Also reported by BBC

Official Brave Site Updated with New Character Downloads

Disney•Pixar has updated the official site for Brave with new character profiles that include downloads for desktops and mobile devices. You can grab them by clicking here or on the image below!

Source: Coming Soon

Anna Karenina

Focus Features will release Anna Karenina in the U.S. on November 9, a couple months after the September UK release.

Jude Law, Aaron Johnson, Kelly Macdonald, Matthew Macfadyen, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Emily Watson, Olivia Williams, and Ruth Wilson also star in the adaptation of Anna Karenina, directed by Joe Wright (Atonement).   

Here’s the official synopsis:

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 and her children. As Anna (Knightley) questions her happiness, change comes to her family, friends, and community.

Source: Collider

James McAvoy to join Joe Wright's "Anna Karenina"?

Joe Wright is already reuniting with one of his Atonement stars for his planned Anna Karenina film, which will star Keira Knightley, and now he may be bringing the other two on board as well. According to an article by Anne Thompson at IndieWire about British production company Working Title, Anna Karenina has been greenlit by Universal, and Wright is eyeing both James McAvoy and Saoirse Ronan for roles in the sprawling film. Jude Law and Aaron Johnson are already on board.

Read more at Cinema Blend