When I first heard that Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece, was being made into a film starring Keira Knightley and Jude Law, I admit I was sceptical, however, when I heard that Tom Stoppard was writing the screen play, I became oh so very interested.

Those of you familiar with Russian literature of this period will know all too well the Russian realist authors love of minutely detailed description of events and deep inner contemplations by their protagonists, which is why Russian novels are generally thick books, which take a long time to read. Combine this with Tom Stoppard’s style of minimalism you can understand how a 900 page book can be condensed into a 130 minute film which has a sense of constant motion.

Director Joe Wright’s whole production is an intricate dance, a waltz if you will, such as the one which Anna and Count Vronsky dance. The rhythm and interplay of conversation, the hustle and bustle of stage movements and the constant circling of servants around their masters along with the intermittent music and chugging of the train line create a film with such a sense of pace that events hurtle through just like the horse race and each emotion develops at shotgun speed.

The majority of the film is set on a Russian theatre stage, heightening the drama and perfectly placed for the stunning costume. A hybrid of 1870s Russia and 1950s French couture which is breathtaking, created by Jacqueline Durran, the costume designer who also worked with Director Joe Wright on the film Atonement. The sumptuous dresses are the finishing touches to what is an aesthetically brilliant and stunning narrative which overall amounts to a beautiful adaptation that which may not please traditionalists but certainly embraces and enthrals the modern.