Atonement
4/4
Starring: Saoirse Roman, Keira Knightly, James McAvoy, Romola Garai, Juno Temple, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brenda Blethyn, Vanessa Redgrave
Rated R for Disturbing War Images, Language and Some Sexuality
"Atonement" is one of the few love stories that touches you to your very core. It ranks among "Titanic" and "The Notebook" as one of the greatest in recent memory. Powerful, poignant and tragic, it's absolutely unforgettable.
Because it's as much a mystery as a romance, I will have to be vague when describing the plot. Thirteen year old Briony Tallis (Roman) is living a life of luxury with her sister Cecilia (Knightly) a few years before the outbreak or World War II. Cecilia has a complex relationship with the local gardener, Robbie Turner (McAvoy). She no longer speaks to him, but even Briony can tell that there's something going on between them. One day Briony sees something happen between Cecilia and Robbie, and it shocks her enough to accuse him of a terrible crime of which he is in fact innocent.
This film is a triumph of storytelling. Not only in what happens, but how director Joe Wright tells it. A trained filmmaker, Wright uses many methods to tell his story. Unique camera angles, delicate and deliberate lighting, and a breathtaking five minute unbroken sequence along a crowded beach. He carefully unfolds the story in a "Rashamon" type way (the editing by Paul Tothill also helps too); each new scene reveals more about what happened and why the characters acted the way that they did. It is only at the very end do we understand the full impact of Briony's actions.
"Atonement" wouldn't have nearly the impact that it does without superb performances from its cast. Keira Knightly has grown into quite the actress. Since she became famous with the British soccer hit "Bend it Like Beckham," Knightly has proven that she's a gifted performer, and she gets better with every role. This is easily her best performance yet. Cecilia is really the typical older sister: curt, a little stuck up, but loving. And when her emotions come pouring out, we really feel them. James McAvoy is also very good as Robbie, able to be a heartthrob and a uniquely human character at the same time. It's easy to understand why Cecilia and Briony would fall for him.
The real star of the film is Saoirse Roman. A young and relatively unknown actress at the time, Roman deftly handles all the contradictions of her character. In her words (spoken by Romola Garai, who plays the older version of the character) about the pivotal event, "she saw something that she doesn't understand, but she thinks she does." Briony is a smart girl, but she's also naiive and jealous; it makes for an explosive combination. Roman is skilled at using her eyes (which Wright takes full advantage of) to show her emotions. Her eyes are a cold blue/grey, which gives her an almost evil appearance. What Briony does is reprehensible and unforgivable, but Roman remembers that she is not a bad person. Just a confused girl who made a poor decision. Garai and Redgrave are in top form playing the character at the different ages, but Roman dominates the role.
This is one case where I must write out my anger at the Academy for its poor decisions regarding this film. It was nominated for 7 Oscars (including Roman for Best Supporting Actress and Best Picture). It only won one for Best Original Score by Dario Marianelli (deservedly, I might add...he uses a typewriter as a musical instrument). It lost the Best Picture award to the very good, but overrated "No Country for Old Men." Missing were nominations for Knightly and more outrageously, Wright. The Academy has made some boneheaded decisions before, but these are some of the worst.
Although I have tried, it's really hard to describe the impact of watching "Atonement." In a way, it's almost like watching "The War Zone" (they share the same cinematographer, Seamus McGarvey, although you wouldn't know it), although it's less oblique and significantly less depressing (though this is by no means a happy movie). In both films, we see the characters for what they do, but wonder why they act that way. Sometimes it's obvious or will be revealed later, other times we have to infer for ourselves. Most films aren't able to do this, and even less are able to do that with the emotional impact that "Atonment" has.
Starring: Saoirse Roman, Keira Knightly, James McAvoy, Romola Garai, Juno Temple, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brenda Blethyn, Vanessa Redgrave
Rated R for Disturbing War Images, Language and Some Sexuality
"Atonement" is one of the few love stories that touches you to your very core. It ranks among "Titanic" and "The Notebook" as one of the greatest in recent memory. Powerful, poignant and tragic, it's absolutely unforgettable.
Because it's as much a mystery as a romance, I will have to be vague when describing the plot. Thirteen year old Briony Tallis (Roman) is living a life of luxury with her sister Cecilia (Knightly) a few years before the outbreak or World War II. Cecilia has a complex relationship with the local gardener, Robbie Turner (McAvoy). She no longer speaks to him, but even Briony can tell that there's something going on between them. One day Briony sees something happen between Cecilia and Robbie, and it shocks her enough to accuse him of a terrible crime of which he is in fact innocent.
This film is a triumph of storytelling. Not only in what happens, but how director Joe Wright tells it. A trained filmmaker, Wright uses many methods to tell his story. Unique camera angles, delicate and deliberate lighting, and a breathtaking five minute unbroken sequence along a crowded beach. He carefully unfolds the story in a "Rashamon" type way (the editing by Paul Tothill also helps too); each new scene reveals more about what happened and why the characters acted the way that they did. It is only at the very end do we understand the full impact of Briony's actions.
"Atonement" wouldn't have nearly the impact that it does without superb performances from its cast. Keira Knightly has grown into quite the actress. Since she became famous with the British soccer hit "Bend it Like Beckham," Knightly has proven that she's a gifted performer, and she gets better with every role. This is easily her best performance yet. Cecilia is really the typical older sister: curt, a little stuck up, but loving. And when her emotions come pouring out, we really feel them. James McAvoy is also very good as Robbie, able to be a heartthrob and a uniquely human character at the same time. It's easy to understand why Cecilia and Briony would fall for him.
The real star of the film is Saoirse Roman. A young and relatively unknown actress at the time, Roman deftly handles all the contradictions of her character. In her words (spoken by Romola Garai, who plays the older version of the character) about the pivotal event, "she saw something that she doesn't understand, but she thinks she does." Briony is a smart girl, but she's also naiive and jealous; it makes for an explosive combination. Roman is skilled at using her eyes (which Wright takes full advantage of) to show her emotions. Her eyes are a cold blue/grey, which gives her an almost evil appearance. What Briony does is reprehensible and unforgivable, but Roman remembers that she is not a bad person. Just a confused girl who made a poor decision. Garai and Redgrave are in top form playing the character at the different ages, but Roman dominates the role.
This is one case where I must write out my anger at the Academy for its poor decisions regarding this film. It was nominated for 7 Oscars (including Roman for Best Supporting Actress and Best Picture). It only won one for Best Original Score by Dario Marianelli (deservedly, I might add...he uses a typewriter as a musical instrument). It lost the Best Picture award to the very good, but overrated "No Country for Old Men." Missing were nominations for Knightly and more outrageously, Wright. The Academy has made some boneheaded decisions before, but these are some of the worst.
Although I have tried, it's really hard to describe the impact of watching "Atonement." In a way, it's almost like watching "The War Zone" (they share the same cinematographer, Seamus McGarvey, although you wouldn't know it), although it's less oblique and significantly less depressing (though this is by no means a happy movie). In both films, we see the characters for what they do, but wonder why they act that way. Sometimes it's obvious or will be revealed later, other times we have to infer for ourselves. Most films aren't able to do this, and even less are able to do that with the emotional impact that "Atonment" has.
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