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Sorry, this movie sucks

I wanted to but couldn't!

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I really liked this mini series and was never bored with it.Considering how long it was that was some feat. I see many on here have criticised the casting of certain characters and I can agree with much of what has been said, however for me it didn't detract from the over all enjoyment. It contained all the right emotions and I thought(casting aside) most of the acting was of a very high standard. The mix of European stars some more stars than others lifted the acting standard and it all worked really well. The scenery and sets were also truly breathtaking.So over all a good series that reflected the spirit of the book.

Never expect a screen treatment of Tolstoy's work to be as profound as the original. Any film version is best approached as a kind of comic book illustration. That being said, War and Peace in this "Golden age of TV" should be filmed as a multi-season show, not a miniseries, to even begin capturing the novel's depth.This 2007 adaptation has better overall casting than the '56, '67, or '72 productions. Filming on location in Russia also helps. The Rostov family, Price Andrei, Old Bolkonsky, Helene, Dolokhov, and others are well-realized and well-acted (albeit dubbed into a rather stale English). Pierre is a quite bit leaner than Tolstoy's creation, but appropriately awkward, and a big improvement over the pretty-boy Fonda in '56 or the aging Bondarchuk in '67. As for Natasha, I got over her portrayal as a blonde pretty quickly, and thought Poesy does a serviceable job channeling the young Rostova's Manic-Pixie-Dream-Girl qualities.The "War" scenes are duly enhanced by cgi, but are clearly not the main reason to see this version. The series fares better with the far more budget-friendly "Peace" portion of the Novel. Some of the sequences are remarkably faithful (most of the Bolkonsky family narrative, for example), but many others were altered for dramatic effect, or to suit modern audiences: Natasha's friendship with Pierre and acquaintance with Prince Andrei prior to 1811 has been considerably strengthened. Pierre's Masonic brotherhood is omitted, and here he's merely "studying the Gospel". Anatole is given a grudge against Andrei to start courting Natasha. The lively and very cinematic scene with Balaga and the gypsies is cut. Part 4 is the weakest, as there are many deviations from Tolstoy's plot to wrap up the story threads even more neatly, and a lot of it feels like by-the-numbers soap opera. Still, for fans of the book, it's a worthwhile visualization of Tolstoy's characters and their world. With all the flaws, it's still not much worse than the previous versions, and even superior in some ways (mostly the authentic sets and the good looking cast). Just don't get your expectations too high.

For those that have read the well over 1,000-paged book, this mini-series will prove to impress you quite well. While most of the characters are well-cast, and the cinematography is rich enough for a full-featured film, I felt rushed along a little too hurriedly. Yes, while Tolstoy did go incredibly in-depth on his characters, there were still some VERY important elements that were either skipped or assumed in this series that left me wanting.Maybe I simply felt let down from the commitment put into reading the novel to see everything shortened so much, however if only they could have spared a few more hours to supply that to enrich the characters...

Countries of the Europe tried very much to make this movie. Movie is outstanding, but not without remarks. Firstly, Clémence Poésy does not approach for Natasha Rostova at all. There is no that charm which was described by the Leo Tolstoi in the novel. Secondly, in the end of first part of movie was used music by... modern composer Aram Khachaturyan for the Lermontov's drama "Masquerade". Italian actor Alessio Boni is ingenious! I think, that his role the best in this film! Hi is one of the best actors, ever played role of Andrey Bolkonsky. Alexander Beyer's work (Pierre Bezukhov) is very convincing. Noticeably, that this actor really very well knows "War and peace". It has allowed it to represent Pierre Bezukhov very authentically. The image of old prince Bolkonsky (M. McDowell) has turned out very expressive and truthful. Such old Russian prince - the petty tyrant. In common, movie is remarkable!