Dvd
Atonement
In 1935, 13-year-old Briony misconstrues a flirtation between her older sister Cecilia (Knightley) and the housekeeper's son Robbie (MacAvoy). When her cousin gets raped, Briony lays the blame on poor Robbie. He gets sent off to prison just as World War II erupts, and the consequences of Briony's actions haunt the characters' lives throughout the conflict.
Starring Keira Knightley, James MacAvoy, Brenda Blethyn, Vanessa Redgrave, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan
Directed by Joe Wright ('Pride & Prejudice')
Written by Christopher Hampton (based on the novel by Ian McEwan)
Festivals & Awards BAFTAs 08; Best Picture | Golden Globes 08; Best Drama Picture
Adaptation, Drama | 2hr 10mins | Rated (M) | Contains Violence, Offensive Language & Sex Scenes | Origin: UK | Official Site »
- Trailers
- Reviews
-
- SHARE:
- SHARE:
The Talk
7 votes / No comments
Flicks review
-
4
A strong script, some fine acting, and some very assured directing from Joe Wright make up a very watchable film. Atonement is an interesting dissection of a theme, and proves to be a mature and confident cinematic treat.
In 1935, 13-year-old Briony misconstrues a flirtation between her older sister Cecilia (Knightley) and the housekeeper's son Robbie (MacAvoy). When her cousin gets raped, Briony lays the blame on poor Robbie. He gets sent off to prison just as World War II erupts, and the consequences of Briony's actions haunt the characters' lives throughout the conflict.
Keira Knightley, often mocked for her lantern jaw and posh-toff accent, can be just right, depending on the role. Here she shines as Cecilia. It’s her second film with Pride and Prejudice director Joe Wright, who brings out polished performances in every member of his cast. Standing head and shoulders above the rest is the mighty James MacAvoy, portraying a real man who works hard in the gardens but scrubs up well for dinner with the mannered cognoscenti.
Nothing compares to an English summer. The first third of the film takes place in and around the stately home where Cecilia has grown up. The glowing cinematography conveys the heat of the day while the soundtrack features a fly buzzing around hitting the windows of the house. It really feels hot, and it’s a relief when the characters jump into the pools or the lake to cool off. Perhaps hotter is the love scene between Knightley and MacAvoy. It's one of the most erotic moments in recent cinematic memory, yet simply comprised of close-ups and ragged breathing.
The initial warmth of the picture (Perhaps the film’s strongest section) soon cools as the characters are separated. The bleak shadow of WWII creeps in. From then on, the film takes place either at night or in overcast landscapes – French swamps or grimy cities.
Tonally, the film is spot on. The action, landscapes and colour palette mirror the characters’ emotional states. If the whole affair feels a bit novelistic (it is, after all, an adaptation), a surprising final coda reveals that this is entirely the point. By then an oppressive feeling of regret has enshrouded the picture, as Briony’s need to atone for the sins of her past has become painfully clear.
But before this reviewer gets swept away in self-concious literate ramblings, it should be pointed out that Atonement can sometimes be a bit flowery for the casual movie-goer. Robbie keeps hearing Cecilia’s voice echoing inside his head: “Come back to me. Come back to me.” At times this is like a flashback to Titanic’s “I’ll never let go, Jack.” The war-time scenes can also look a bit cheap and very easy on the blood & gore factor. It looks like the filmmakers have rented a disused London factory at night, set up some bright lights and a smoke machine.
The crowning moment of the film is the very long (did someone say five-minutes?) tracking shot which follows Robbie along the beach-front at Dunkirk. It’s very impressive, if a little showy. And it perhaps sums up the entire film – theatrical but made with care. Much thought has gone into making this flick, and it proves to be a wonderful meditation on a theme that will sit with you for days afterwards.
SHARE:
The people's reviews
11 reviews
Press Reviews
-
BBC
4
Flourishes of 'hyper-reality' are grounded by sterling performances from Knightley (defined by a strong and elegantly poised backbone), Romola Garai as the 18-year-old Briony and, above all, James McAvoy. He exudes the essence of humanity in a truly soulful picture....
Read full review -
Dominion Post [Graeme Tuckett]
4
Atonement is a great big and unashamedly British epic. This is the film the poms scrimp and save their pennies for, only to blow the lot on one spectacularly competent piece of naked Oscar bait. The last time we saw this movie it was called The English Patient, and the time before that might have been Chariots of Fire. And fair enough too. Atonement really is pretty special, and actually deserves some of the tsunami of hype that is following it around the globe...
Read full review -
Empire Magazine [UK]
5
An adaptation at least as good as the novel - complex, delicate and devastating. Gorgeous cinematography, a lilting score and near-faultless performances, under Wright’s assured direction, make this the first contender for next year’s Best Picture Oscar...
Read full review -
The Christchurch Press [Margaret Agnew]
4
Complex, fragile and devastating in its impact, this spellbinding film will doubtless inspire some tears but rises above the dismissive term "tear- jerker". This is a love story for mature adults, as witnessed and brutally messed up by an immature child...
Read full review -
TV3 [Kate Rodger]
Atonement is exquisitely shot. I just loved its pace, the use of sound to suck you in to that doomed hot English summer day and its use again to transition from scene to scene...
Read full review -
Variety [USA]
Rarely has a book sprung so vividly to life, but also worked so enthrallingly in pure movie terms, as with “Atonement,” Brit helmer Joe Wright’s smart, dazzlingly upholstered adaptation of Ian McEwan’s celebrated 2001 novel. Period yarn, largely set in 1930s and ‘40s England, about an adolescent outburst of spite that destroys two lives and crumples a third, preserves much of the tome’s metaphysical depth and all of its emotional power. And as in Wright’s “Pride & Prejudice,” Keira Knightley -- echoed by co-thesp James McAvoy --proves every bit as magnetic as the divas of those classic mellers pic consciously references...
Read full review
View more trailers close window
-
Loading the player ...
Search For a DVD
I beg your pardon?
- Flicks.co.nz is serving the great nation of NZ with all things cinematic. Question about a movie or cinema? Thoughts on the site? Quips, gripes, advice for our own personal self-development?
- Get in touch with us by email at ED@ FLICKS.CO.NZ,on TWITTER oron FACEBOOK.
Want to see it
What say you? Yes No
Be the first to comment!