First Look: Anna Karenina

Joe Wright returns to showcasing Keira Knightley's incredible talent with Anna Karenina, an adaptation of the classic Tolstoy novel about a married socialite who has an affair with a wealthy count.  Knightley takes on the title role, and she already has tons of Oscar buzz (after seeing this trailer, it's not hard to see why).  Two of the actress's best performances have been her previous collaborations with Wright in Pride &Prejudice (for which Knightley received a Best Actress nomination) and Atonement, so it's exciting to see them reteaming.

It's also exciting to see Wright returning to the world of literary adaptations, since he does them so well.  He relishes in the details of the period but also demonstrates a restraint that period pieces sometimes lack, so anxious are they to demonstrate the most lavish aspects of the day.  Granted, Anna Karenina looks to be a more extravagant affair (especially when compared with the rural romance of Pride & Prejudice), but it's still a welcome return after the unfortunate The Soloist and the thrilling rock-and-roll fairy tale Hanna.

Anna Karenina boasts a supporting cast including Aaron Johnson, Jude Law, Kelly Macdonald, and Olivia Williams.

Wright's Oscar hopeful hits theaters November 9, prime awards season real estate.