ATONEMENT
PopcornReel.com Movie Review: “Atonement”
By Omar P.L. Moore/December 7, 2007
Affairs of the heart and the lies: Keira Knightley as Cecilia Tallis and James
McAvoy as Robbie Turner in "Atonement", directed by Joe Wright. (Photo:
Alex Bailey/Focus Features)
Storytelling is the essence of “Atonement”, and not unlike moments in last year’s “Notes On A Scandal”, it all depends on who is telling the story at any given time. In the present film’s case, it’s Briony Tallis (Saorise Ronan) a girl of thirteen who sees some hanky panky between one Robbie (James McAvoy) a member of the servant class and her own sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley). Thirteen-year-olds often see things they aren’t supposed to, and keeping a secret is not necessarily in their vocabulary. Briony however, looks for love and acceptance but makes decisions that will make things a lot harder during wartime, especially for some of the war’s unintended victims.
While “Atonement” focuses on the tensions between the weak and the strong, the
rich and the poor, the loving and the loveless, Mr. Hampton’s script also
depicts longing and desperation in ways that sneak up on the audience,
especially so in the second half of the film, which is the far stronger and
compelling half. “Atonement”, which is nearly always shot from a third person’s
perspective, features James McAvoy at his best as Robbie, a man caught in a web of
scandal, an inanimate man trapped in animated and fanciful circumstances. Mr.
McAvoy displays a self-containment throughout that is powerful. His eyes burn
with contempt, but also with the fire of love that could set war enemy villages
alight. Ms. Knightley takes on Cecilia and puts on the airs of a flighty
debutante-type whose desires flicker and dart in only one direction. Cecilia knows
her younger sister well, and the journey to the end of “Atonement” takes several
turns.
The costumes (by Jacqueline Durran) and production design (Sarah Greenwood) are well-rendered in Mr. Wright’s film, with
score of the film also fitting appropriately. “Atonement” stretches a
little longer than it should, but its conclusion satisfies once it arrives, a
conclusion that is a realistic
resolution to the unresolved threads life often presents. Setting the film
amidst World War Two, in which the scars remain vividly alive to this day, is a
clever move, for the film’s story has the legs to match. Undoubtedly, there
will be some Oscar buzz surrounding Mr. Wright's second effort, just as buzz
surrounded his first, "Pride and Prejudice", which also starred Ms. Knightley.
"Atonement", on its technical merits (cinematography and production design) deserves serious consideration this awards season.
"Atonement" is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of
America for disturbing war images, language and some sexuality. The film's
duration is two hours and ten minutes.
Related: Feature
Story on James McAvoy of "Atonement"
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