Atonement (Widescreen Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Atonement (Widescreen Edition)
Movie Review: When a Lie Destroys a Life
Summary: 2 Stars
Not a day goes by that we do not lie. Sometimes these lies are small. "Yes, of course your hair looks wonderful." "That dress is lovely on you." But sometimes those lies change the course of our lives in terrible ways.
This is the story of "Atonement". Briony is a young English girl who is very much infatuated with the gardener, Robbie. But after intercepting a dirty letter Robbie has written about Briony's sister, Cecelia, and seeing the two making out in the library, Briony is enraged. So enraged that when her cousin, Lola, is raped, she lies and says that Robbie was the culprit. Robbie is sent to prison and then to war. Cecelia, heart broken, leaves her well-off family for London. And Briony becomes a nurse.
The film is a beautiful period piece. The actors and actresses fit perfectly with the time period. The clothes, technology, settings and surroundings are so perfect, that never once did I question what era the film was portraying.
The actresses chosen to play Briony are perfect, particularly (considering her lack of experience) the little girl. She conveys the gravity of the movie well. Vanessa Redgrave shines as the older woman who attempts to atoned for her childish actions. And Romola Garai blends the young and old seemlessly (I am a little surprised she wasn't nominated for an Academy Award to my knowledge).
One of the most unsatisifying aspects of the movie was how the plot was pieced together. A very important piece (how much Briony likes Robbie) does not appear until late into the second act. This is important because without it, you truly do think that Briony has seen Robbie (or at least, I did). Also, too much time is spent on how bad the war is (I got it within the first few minutes), and some scenes make no sense (Briony with the soldier).
Next, I felt no chemistry between Cecelia (Keira Knightley) and Robbie (James McAvoy). Robbie hints at feelings to Cecelia (namely through a dirty letter, which would turn on very few ladies this one included), but the scene in the library does not show their love for each other. It feels like perfunctory sex. Later on, I feel more of their chemistry, but by then the story is over.
Noteworthy is that this movie does have its fair share of foul language (the f-word and a c-word that appears on screen several times) and a pretty intense sex scene. Violence includes a view inside a hospital, death, a rape, explosions, and other war time images.
Overall, I ended the movie more confused than when I began. I understand film is art, but I would at least like to be able to understand on a basic level what happened when the movie was over. It took me quite a bit of talking to figure out how Briony attempted to atone for her actions (weak, but very indicative of her character). Furthermore, the war time images (Okay, already, Robbie is in the war!) really added little to the film for me. Beautiful cinematography, weak story, weak characters. 2 stars.
Movie Review: Sneaks up on you
Summary: 5 Stars
Honestly, for about half the picture I was annoyed with the pacing and the time jumping. But boy, does Atonement have one heck of a pay off. In the end, I was more than a little choked up. Knightley and Mcavoy are perfectly cast and Saoirse Ronan is a budding star if ever there was one. IMHO, Director Joe Wright is more to be commended than screen writer Christopher Wright for this piece. I think he took some bold risks that truly don't pay off until the end. Highly, highly recommended.Movie Review: Almost an atonement
Summary: 4 Stars
In my language the title of the movie was translated "Penance" or "Repentance". To me, this makes more sense than "Atonement".
Nevermind. This is certainly a worthwhile movie - mostly for its production values dipped in real beauty and grandeur (music, cinematography, sets are stunning). Acting is also great. What lags a bit behind is the story itself, which is rather banal and the main conflict somewhat superficial.
The main point this movie makes is that you see things differently at 13 and differently at 18 (this happens to the girl named Briony, the centerperson of the plot, whose lies put apart her sister Cee and Cee's almost lover Robbie). The movie also feels just a bit too detached and cold, which probably stems from the nature of Ian McEwan's writing - his other animals are even tougher (e.g. Cement Garden).
The film tries hard and indeed achieved quite a lot, including the Best Picture drama Golden Globe for 2007, yet its being beaten by "No Country For Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood" at the Oscars now seems justified to me, although I havent' seen the latter two pictures yet.
The final word - despite flaws it's certainly a good film to watch, mostly for its directing approach and film language, which manages to be soundly original for a mainstream movie. For example, the music and editing often mix with clicking of a typewriter, hinting at Briony's playwrighting.
Movie Review: An essay on war torned England
Summary: 5 Stars
The date is 1935, so it is The Thirties in the English countryside, and the date, for those who know History, is quite disturbing: these are star crossed people by the destiny awaiting for them. So, they are living the last years left for them before the hecatomb begins.
A family and their housekeepers are the center of this beautiful and tragic story marked by the war that is coming, and a few sentiments from the deepest heart: envy, deceit, greed, English hipocrisy, dreams, writing, and above all: Love, an unfullfilled type of love, which make us viewers, remember Casablanca.
Set as I said, at the English countryside just before the war, another movie that comes to your mind everytime is American epic "Gone with the Wind" which begins at the Southern country parties and depicts war torned Atlanta. A scene to wacht out for: the look from the hill to the soldiers waiting in the coastline: a Saving Private Ryan's intertext! (By the way, the main character is played by an actor present in the Band of Brothers series).
Movie Review: Love, sex and class
Summary: 4 Stars
Anyone familiar with Ian Mc+Ewan's prolific work knows that he is a writer that explores human sexulaity and it's consequences to the people and world around us. This film is meant to capture the story of a young girl who due to unusual set of circumstances is a witness to the startling attraction between her beautiful sister and her own platonic love, housekeeper's son Robbie. She is much younger that her sister and a young lad and confused and startled about their behavior while they are together. Her sister on the other hand, is beautiful and well aware of her high social standing. The yound man Robbie, she is attracted to, is housekeeper's son and in spite of his obvious handsome apperance and smartness (he is a scholarship kid attending medical school at Ivies) far from a catch for a girl of her social standing. But their mutual sexual attraction and electrofying desire will diminish all social constraints. It is the young girl who stands in the way of their happiness and her accusation against the young man inexplicable even to herself, is a cause of their demise and her eternal sorrow for her actions. I really enjoyed James McAwoy's performance and Vanessa Redgrave's appearance at the end of the movie is a real treat. I do not believe that any film can ever be as powerful as Ian McEwan's written word on paper. While Kira Knitley is beautiful to look at, her performace is just not quite there yet...