Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986) Reviews

This movie was a tv series turned into a movie, about 4 hours long. It was absolutely beautiful, the story was sad but the movie in general was a very good movie. I cried so much...and my butt hurt when i took a 10 minute break. This is definitely not for children, they won't be able comprehend the story. Watch it with your best friend or if your guy is a softie, watch it with him, keep tissues nearby....and get up every hour lol. This story really touched my heart, I felt the love, the fear, the despair, and the joy. I had only seen the animated version before this, and then was told it was a true story (I'm a teenager) and got curious. The story is completely different of course. No magic, no evil decomposing man...or a talking bat. Great movie, but you have to be able to pay attention.
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Well I hate to say but I did fast forward through this movie. Amy Irving did so much crying no wonder her eyes were always puffing. The clothes were beautiful but the movie didn't keep me wanting more. I thought Amy Irving's accent that was too phoney for her. With the DNA test proving Anna Anderson was NOT Anastasia it makes you wonder was she really crazy to begin with. It was interesting to see how the family, even after the revolution and relocating to another country, still acted as if they were still in Russia. But one thing that did strike a note in this movie as the part when she was in an antique store and saw articles from the palaces. Can you imagine how that would feel if her story was true? Anyway, I am reading a book about Anna Anderson and will see what this and all the other movies have left out. ~ Susan L.
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While this was obviously something waiting in the wings to be made until after Anna Anderson's death, while I enjoyed the movie as entertainment, the question of how much creative license with the facts was never far from my mind. Particularly given that, in the 30+ years since the move was made, so much more has come to light about the fate of the Romanov family in general, and Alexei and Anastasia in particular. Amy Irving gives a standout performance, proving (again, as far as I am concerned) that she is much more talented than she has ever been given credit, or offered screenplays, for. Really, the only drawback to the entire thing was that it did come out too soon, not being able to offer a conclusive (?) answer to the riddle of Anastasia/Anna Anderson.
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