This is one fine film and I found it even more moving than the book.
Atonement (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 196
Fresh: 162
Rotten:34
Average Rating: 7.3/10
Consensus: Atonement features strong performances, brilliant cinematography, and a unique score. Featuring deft performances from James MacAvoy and Keira Knightley, it's a successful adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for disturbing war images, language and some sexuality
Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins
Genre: British, Drama, Romance, Young Love, Period Piece, Family Crises, Based On A Novel
Theatrical Release: Dec 7, 2007 Limited
Box Office: $50,830,581
Synopsis: On a sultry summer day in 1935, an upper-class British family prepares for a dinner party at their country estate. The players: Briony Tallis (newcomer Saoirse Ronan), a precocious preteen writer; her older sister Cecilia (Keira... On a sultry summer day in 1935, an upper-class British family prepares for a dinner party at their country estate. The players: Briony Tallis (newcomer Saoirse Ronan), a precocious preteen writer; her older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley), Cambridge graduate and femme fatale; Robbie Turner (James McEvoy), the housekeeper's mensch-y son, who carries a torch for Cecilia; and various visitors and family members. A series of misperceptions, fueled by the summer heat and Briony's childish hurts and fevered imagination, lead to a dramatic false accusation that lands Robbie in jail. We meet all three characters five years later in the thick of World War II, as foot soldier Robbie prepares for the Dunkirk evacuation and the two estranged sisters train as nurses in London. Director Joe Wright (PRIDE AND PREJUDICE) deserves high praise for translating Ian McEwan's highly internalized, multilayered tale of guilt, redemption, and the power and limits of the artistic imagination, into a sumptuous visual feast that not only conveys the intricate plot points of the novel, but dives headfirst into the emotional subtleties that make the story so wrenching. Whether any of the characters' actions are ultimately atoned for by the end of the film is a matter of perception, but Wright's sympathetic eye ensures that every player gets a fair trial. The young director favors long, lingering close-ups that trace every flicker of feeling--Ronan's luminous blue eyes clouding over with righteous gravity; the tremors of hurt and anger and love in McEvoy's sensitive face; the defiant jut of Knightley's jaw as it melts into tender affection. The honey-drizzled look of the first two thirds of the film contrasts achingly with the tension and seriousness of the action unfolding (and the grim intensity of the wartime sections), and the scenes on the beach at Dunkirk include some of the most masterly camera work of any recent film. ATONEMENT is a powerful story, retold in a way that even diehard fans of the book will appreciate. [More]
Starring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan
Starring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan, Vanessa Redgrave, Brenda Blethyn
Director: Joe Wright
Director: Joe Wright
Screenwriter: Christopher Hampton
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Paul Webster
Composer: Dario Marianelli
Studio: Focus Features
DVD Info
Release:
Dec 30, 2008
DVD Features:
- Snap Case
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English, French, Spanish
- Subtitles - English, (SDH), French, Spanish
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary - Director Joe Wright
- Deleted Scenes with Commentary by Director Joe Wright
- Featurette - 1. The Making of Atonement
- 2. Novel to the Screen
Additional Product:
- Movie Cash Offer for MILK OR FROST/NIXON
Reviews for Atonement
Somehow the intensity of McEwan's voice hasn't survived and once we move beyond the magic of that lost summer's day, the film becomes a strangely cool and cerebral experience.
The story that begins so frivolously, in elegant surroundings and shimmering long gowns comes to its conclusion with a piercing twist to the heart.
Atonement is a film out of balance, nimble enough in its first half but oddly scattered and ungainly once it leaves the grounds of the Tallis estate.
not a Jane Austin story, but it could be, if Jane Austin hardened up her subject matter a bit
Not a bad picture by any means, just way too fussy. Ladies will love it.
Few films this year were as magnificent looking and few as misunderstood.
[U]ltimately, the movie amounts to rolling lawns, lovely costumes, and characters that simply fail to resonate.
Director Joe Wright is quickly establishing himself as a powerhouse adapter of period romance tomes.
At some points Wright appears to be simply showing off the dexterity of his visual ambitions to the detriment of the story's emotional core.
the film actually transcends the novel at times, due in no small part to Seamus McGarvey's fluid camera work.
Ronan has a remarkably self-possessed, haunted quality that would be impressive for a newcomer of any age.
...This leads to one of the best romances of the year. The problem comes when an older Briony attempts to atone for her misdeeds.
Wright's camera takes you on many memorable journeys, none as great as an incredible five minute tracking shot in which the scene never cuts away
Atonement exquisitely captures the essence and nuance of the page and translates it to the screen with breathtaking originality.
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