From the award-winning director of Pride & Prejudice comes a stunning, critically acclaimed epic story of love. When a young girl catches her sister in a passionate embrace with a childhood friend, her jealousy drives her to tell a lie that will change the course of all their lives forever. Academy Award® nominee Keira Knightley and James McAvoy lead an all-star cast in the film critics are calling “the year’s best picture” (Thelma Adams, US Weekly). Director Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice) gives Ian McEwan’s bestselling novel a sumptuous treatment for the screen that should come to be regarded as one of the defining films of the epic romantic drama. Indeed, everything about this film stems from those three words: there is little here that is not epic, romantic, and dramatic, and Atonement is a film that masterfully expresses the overarching sense of adventure and emotion that such stories are meant to convey. In this instance, the story centers around the love story of highborn Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and housekeeper’s son Robbie Turner (James McAvoy, in a star-making turn), in England shortly before World War II. Despite their class differences, they are powerfully attracted to each other, and just as their relationship begins Robbie is tragically forced away due to false accusations from Cecilia’s younger sister Briony (Saoirse Ronan). She has a crush on Robbie, too, and after reading a private letter he sent to Cecilia, and then witnessing the first expression of their mutual love but mistaking it for mistreatment, her resentment grows until it leads to her telling the lie that will send Robbie away. Soon World War II breaks out; Robbie enlists and is posted to France, Cecilia is a nurse in London, and Briony, now age 18 and aware of what she has done, tries to atone for her actions–but none of them will be able to get back what they have lost. Knightley and McAvoy are perfectly cast as the young star crossed lovers, and the young Ronan is particularly impressive, but it’s clear that the real star of this film is the director. Wright allows Atonement to revel in every moment of its story and each scene is compelling in its own way, but that now famous extended shot with Robbie on the beach at Dunkirk–filmed in one take and sure to be considered one of the great long tracking shots in film history–is the most memorable moment in this remarkable film. Atonement is an excellent example of what can happen when a great book meets great filmmaking. This is one that is not to be missed. –Daniel Vancini
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March 30, 2008
#1
OK, anyone remember that one – Julie Christie – Alan Bates??
Originality ….originality …. everything seems to be recycled upon an unsuspecting YOUNG public today.
Performances? Certainly they are great in this motion picture …. but DO stay calm and reflect upon originality?
Poor Redgrave …. someone soon must get her a proper script – something befitting her superior talent.
Keep on trying …..
March 30, 2008
#2
A little girl is a playwright of sorts. She has a brilliant talent which comes with a wild imagination. She develops a crush upon her family’s groundskeeper. The groundskeeper (James McAvoy Becoming Jane) however develops a lust for her older sister (Kiera Knightly. Domino (Widescreen New Line Platinum Series)) Because of more than one moment she witnesses, and information she happens to come across, her mind races and jumps to conclusions. These conclusions provide a crossroads in the path of each of their lives. Romance, tragedy ensues.
I’m not going to lie. I fully understand why this movie was nominated for so many awards. Knightly was not too horrible. She’s a good actress, I just wish she’d cut down on the costume dramas. With the exception of Domino, I can’t think of any mainstream, modern-placed film she’s made. McAvoy is not an attractive person. Maybe some out there find him charming and good-looking, but not I. The cinematography was great; the five-plus scene upon the beach was a breathtaking achievement in itself for sure. The best was the Oscar winning score. With the genius weaving of a typewriter’s sound and classical music throughout, it truly was an original score.
The problem is the story. I’m admittedly not a fan of Romance/Costume Dramas. I think they’re paltry and worthless for the most part. This movie was over at about 90 minutes. The problem is; the writer and director just didn’t want to admit it. By the time the ending crawled upon screen, the entire movie could have been summed up in three simple words; Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda.
Needless to say this movie, in my opinion, should only be watched on a rainy day when you can’t sleep.
March 30, 2008
#3
I saw this movie the year it won the Oscar and I was bored beyond belief. The movie goes from child erotic/peeping-tom/I am gonna watch my sister get boinked/OMG! This movie has a great cast but the story is so chaotically told and disjointed you lose focus and interest almost from the get-go.
March 30, 2008
#4
“Atonement” ranks right up there with “The English Patient” as one of the most boring, pretentious, pointless and over-produced (what a waste of great talent, costumes and sets!) wartime period dramas of all time. How it ever was nominated for anything is a total mystery to me. It isn’t even about atonement but about making up a story to disguise reality and avoid guilt(not a bad theme but that’s the “surprise” ending and it’s popped on the viewer right at the end like an old “Twilight Zone” episode — it’s all just a dream.) Yes, I revealed the plot twist. It’s to save you from wasting two hours.
March 31, 2008
#5
I had “Great Expectations” for this film, but the creators appear to have had something else in mind. As such, it all fell a bit short. The music score, for one, was nothing more than a distraction when it should have been transparent (see the film “The Great Debaters” (2007) as a reference point for how a film’s music score, oxymoronically, should be heard unnoticed). Also, the editing was poorly done as, in some scenes, there is far too much time spent on establishing shots — first, one of the principal characters wafts amidst the pandemonium of a war-ravaged beachfront with a ferris wheel in the background; and then a second time, there is a long-shot of the same scene. What a complete bloody waste of screentime! The principal story, presumably a story about love, is somehow completely lost as there are very few establishing scenes between the principal “lovers” that serve to justify their undying love throughout the film (poor direction and editing again), except for a brief scene in a study room that only justifies their sexual lust for one another. Well, perhaps the entire story, from beginning to end, was merely a figment of the imagination, but I honestly cannot praise this as a “Best Film of 2007″ due to all the deficiencies in plot and substance, nor would I recommend that either of the principal actors, Keira Knightley or James McAvoy, be nominated for Best Acting nods since their mutual time onscreen throughout the film does not justify such awards praise. A big disappointment through-and-through, quite honestly. Like the film “No Country For Old Men”, the critics are raving about this film, but I honestly cannot see why. In any event, the best part of this film comes at the very end, thanks to one of the greatest living actresses of our times — but I will not spoil that for you. Instead, I’ll let you dredge through this film (as I did) in order to see the ending for yourself.