Director Joe Wright and actress Keira Knightley have cornered the market in literary adaptations, having already worked together on Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. This new adaptation by Tom Stoppard of Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel looks as sumptuous and visually stunning as all of Wright’s previous work.

Published originally as a serial, Anna Karenina is set in the glamorous world of 19th century Russia. It tells the tale of a respectable woman who, when asked to help her sister’s family, becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue, passion and transgression which sets her on a course for disaster. The film 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 questions her happiness, change comes to her family, friends and community.

Jude Law as Alexei Karenin and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Count Vronsky join an ensemble cast that includes Emily Watson, Matthew Macfadyen and Domhnall Gleeson. Cinematography by Seamus McGarvey (We Need To Talk About Kevin) and costumes by Jacqueline Durran (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) all add up to a film that is already sparking Oscars buzz.