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Atonement | 
 enlarge | Director: Joe Wright
Actors: Saoirse Ronan, Ailidh Mackay, Brenda Blethyn, Julia West, James Mcavoy
Studio: NBC Universal
Category: Movie
This item is no longer available
Rating:  260 reviews
Sales Rank: 3617
Genre: Drama
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: Video On Demand
Running Time: 124 Minutes
ASIN: B0017W8ODK
Theatrical Release Date: December 7, 2007
Release Date: August 29, 2008
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| Customer Reviews: Read 255 more reviews...
 Cinematic Splendor: ATONEMENT reaches the standard of the novel January 26, 2008
Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States)
223 out of 241 found this review helpful
For those who have had the immense pleasure of reading Ian McEwan's ATONEMENT not once but several times, basking in not only the brilliant story/mystery but also in the inordinately beautiful language, rest assured that the film not only does the book justice in the transference to the screen, but in the hands of screenplay writer Christopher Hampton (we know that McEwan approved of the modifications as McEwan is one of the producers of the film) becomes even more clear in its realization of the complex plot and finds the visual beauty inherent in McEwan's prose. Joe Wright as director steers this story well, finding just the right amount of back and forth nonlinear development that formed the magic of McEwan's initial weaving.
The cast is uniformly superb. From the initial self-centered liar Briony Tallis (an impressive Saoirse Ronan) to the years' later sorrowfully guilty young nurse Briony (Romola Garai) to the 'epilogue' Briony of Vanessa Redgrave, the entire story is adroitly centered on this perpetrator of tragedy. But without the power of James McAvoy's falsely accused Robby Turner and Keira Knightley's tragic Cecilia Tallis the triad would not work. Even the smaller yet important roles assigned to Gina McGee, Brenda Blethyn, Jeremie Renier and countless others are played to perfection.
The cinematography by Seamus McGarvey captures not only the misty tranquility of 1935 pre-war England complete with creative use of luminous light sources as well as the raw brutality of the battlefields as England enters WW II. Dario Marianelli's music score (much of it played by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet!) incorporates the superb Sir Thomas Beecham recording of 'La Boheme' with de los Angeles and Bjoerling as incidental music to the typing of Robby's fateful note and then proceeds to incorporate the typewriter as if it were an instrument in his orchestrations.
Rarely has this viewer been so moved by a film (and perhaps that may have been related to just having heard a performance of Britten's WAR REQUIEM at the Los Angeles Philharmonic the previous night!): it is the perfect marriage of novel, cinematic realization and commitment on the part of all concerned in the creation of this superlative film. Highly Recommended on every level. Grady Harp, January 08
Unforgiven January 5, 2008
H. Schneider (wechselhaft)
51 out of 61 found this review helpful
You will appreciate the movie more if you have read the novel. It is not a straightforward love story and definitely not a war epic. It is also not an English society story from the 30s, though it starts as such. A young girl with writing ambitions has her share of frustrations with family and with a failed crush. She sees things and misunderstands them involving her elder sister and her crush. This leads to false accusations, a wrong arrest, a life badly damaged, a love unfulfilled. The script handles the misperceptions of the girl perfectly, we get to see things in different versions. It is like time moving in loops.
The middle part shows us the struggles of the two separated lovers towards getting back to each other in the middle of war. Dunkerk for him, London hospitals' nursing wards during the bombing of London for her. The younger sister repents and tries to make up, but is rejected.
The final and shortest part is set in the recent past and has the former young girl explain what happened. You will find that the story makes perfect sense and is well constructed.
The book was one of McEwan's better ones. The movie is on par with the novel: I have rarely seen a better adaptation of such a novel. The script deserves an Oscar, as does the cinematography. Some of the images are outstanding, e.g. the 3 soldiers walking dejectedly and lost through France or Flanders towards uncertainty and Dunkerk, and the we see a bomber fly over them, but we see it only as its reflection in the small canal. Look at the pictures!
The cast is excellent and I disagree with those who think that KK is miscast, though her performance in Pride and Prejudice was more impressive.
Completely mesmerizing December 18, 2007
Melissa Niksic (Chicago, IL United States)
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
"Atonement" is a great example of an excellent book that was seamlessly adapted for the big screen.
Based on the novel by Ian McEwan, "Atonement" is the story of Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan), a 13-year-old girl growing up in England in the year 1935. Briony is a very intense girl who is obsessed with storytelling. She witnesses a series of events between her older sister, Cecilia (Keira Knightley), and Robbie (James McAvoy), the son of the Tallis family's housekeeper. Briony things she understands what she sees, but she really doesn't. When a terrible crime is committed, Briony points the finger at the wrong man, sending an innocent person to prison and leaving Cecilia absolutely devastated.
This is an amazing story about love, truth, and justice. I have read McEwan's novel, and I was blown away by how well this story transferred to the screen. Everything in the film looked just the way I'd envisioned it when I read the book, which is a great testament to the filmmakers. I was very impressed by many of the performances in the film, especially those of the actors portraying young Briony, Cecilia, and Robbie. Ronan is a superb young actress whose portrayal of Briony is absolutely brilliant. Knightley seems to get better and better with every film she makes, and "Atonement" is no exception. She brings Cecilia to life on screen and makes her evolve from a selfish girl with a high-and-mighty attitude to a passionate woman who will do anything to be with the man she loves. The on-screen chemistry between Knightley and McAvoy is unbelievably intense (that library scene...wow!). I think Cecilia and Robbie will become one of cinema's most treasured couples, right up there with Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler.
I also need to mention the amazing cinematography in the film, as well as the music. There are many spectacular camera shots in the film, and dramatic uses of light to enhance certain scenes. The film's score integrates Briony's pounding typewriter keys into the music of the entire movie, which is seamless and incredible.
I only have two small gripes about this film. First of all, the ending of the movie slightly differed from the ending of the book, and I don't understand why it was changed. Secondly, I wasn't thrilled with Romola Garai's portrayal of Briony at age 18. She just wasn't as creepy and intense as Ronan, which was disappointing. However, it's possible that I'm being overly critical of Garai just because Ronan was so utterly fantastic in her role. It would be a lot for anyone to live up to.
Overall, "Atonement" absolutely dazzled me. I appreciate that the film is so true to the book in every way, and it was wonderful to see this amazing story come to life. This is a must-see that has "Academy Award winner" written all over it.
Stunning..... September 21, 2007
Leslie Somerville-Albers (Kent, Washington)
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
Kiera Knightley and James McEvoy star, in Oscar winning performances, as two doomed lovers torn apart by lies and war. Director Joe Wright proves here that Pride and Prejudice was no fluke as Atonement is well crafted, superbly photographed and with an intelligent script makes this film a total success and triumph. Beginning in the summer of 1935 in an English Manor we are introduced to Briony, a precocious and over imaginative young writer. The film starts as she tries to understand the relationship between her older sister Cecilia (Knightley) and the housekeeper's son Robby (McEvoy). After a horrendous attack on their cousin, Briony's innocence, naivety and jealously leads her to put the blame on Robby who is immediately taken away to jail. Cut to 1940 and Robby, who got the chance to join the army, is now an evacuee in Dunkirk. Cecilia is a nurse in London as is Briony. What follows is Briony trying to come to terms with what she has done and trying to make peace with her sister. From the lush Countryside to the bleakness of the beaches of Dunkirk the photography is spellbinding. The direction is first rate with a stunning tracking shot of Dunkirk. Also the music and the use of the sound from the keys of the typewriter are used to perfect effect. The performances are first rate, notably Saoirse Ronan who plays the young Briony. While the film does lull a bit during the middle, the performances carry the viewer through it. A hugely enjoyable period/war drama, that's as ambitious as it is compassionate. A stunning achievement.
Mesmerizing, Sensual, and Beautiful February 26, 2008
Melanie Edwards (Commerce, MI)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
Atonement is a exquisite work of a film. Both lush and heartbreaking, it just sweeps you off your feet into this movie going experience that you rarely experience now a days, completly wrapping you in its spell that has you transfixed through out the entire film, from its tone setting beginning to its heart wrenching finale.
On a particularily hot day in the English summer of 1935, young Briony Tallis witnesses a moment of sexual tension between her older sister, Cecily, and their housekeepers son Robbie. Far to young to understand the meaning of this event, she initially takes it as something negative and believes Robbie intends to harm her sister. So one night, she draws from her sexual naivete and childish ways to accuse Robbie of a crime he did not commit. Because of this small understanding and act of betrayel, Briony unwittingly sets into motion a series events that will ultimatly change the lives of her sister, Robbie, even herself for years to come.
Technically wise, the film just exceeds beyond what you have seen on film. The cinamatography and art direction are just flat out stunning. Everything just seems to radiate this ethereal and richly refined look in almost every single frame, from the warm pastels of the hot English country side to the cold, grim gray's of WWII, its almost as if you are viewing a work of moving art or better yet, your actually seeing the texts from the book just come alive on screen, which in my opinion is a very difficult feat to achive with a book of such intrisant detail and depth. It baffled me that the film did not win in those awards at the Oscars, which I felt they rightfully deserved.
All the acting is just phenomenal. Both Keira Knightly and James McAvoy are just fantastic as the star crossed lovers (and both shamefully snubbed by Oscar) and each three incarnations of Briony are all seemless. Saoirse Ronan shows off such a poise and grace that far succeds her teenage years as the young Briony, Romola Garai exudes a sense of remorse you can almost feel the weight of her actions on your shoulders, and finally, Venessa Redgrave tops it off in a devistating performance in just under seven minutes, all the sadness of her actions expressed in her eyes.
Christopher Hampton does an excellent job on the screenplay, adapting from such a complex and deep book that can rarely ever be done. And Joe Wright just excels in the directors chair (especially with the now famous Dunkirk scene) turning what could have easily been another sappy love story into something far more complex, from acts of betrayle, effects of war, and the sheer fantasy of ones mind. The music score is just so unique the way the composer uses the sound of clacking typewriters, as if the events going on in the film are being written at that exact moment in Briony's mind. What I also love about the film is the way the characters speak and act, with the whole naturalistic manner you saw way back in the 1930's where the words were given very promptly and in a very direct speech, its like an almost modernized version of all those old classic films, which will definently appeal to an older audience. Now, on that note, some people may be turned off by the whole speech thing (since a lot of people nowadays are not used to that sort of dialect) but its really not that big of a deal and after a few minutes, it is not a such a big deal.
Beautifully acted, masterfully shot, and experatly scored, Atonement is a movie going experience that should be seen by all, one that will follow you days after the final, haunting shot.
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