Atonement
Starring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy
Directed by: Joe Wright
Rated: R
4 stars

One lie can change anything. Such is the premise of Atonement, the movie adaptation of the popular Ian McEwan novel. Set in Britain from the years around World War II to the present day, the film is the story of Briony, an aspiring writer, who falsely accuses Robbie, her sister Cecilia’s lover, of a terrible crime:

Keira Knightley and James McAvoy are superb as the ill-fated pair, and Saoirse Ronan gives a solid performance as the 13-year-old Briony. Romola Garai and Vanessa Redgrave’s portrayals of the same character at later ages are still polished but not as powerful.

Although the film could have benefited from a longer running time, Atonement ultimately triumphs in its storytelling. Most effective are scenes of the devastations of war; a view of the beach at Dunkirk is one of the most striking moments in recent cinematic history, done in a single shot. The score, costumes and cinematography are all breathtaking.

Although Atonement is a beautiful film and likely destined for some Oscar successes, it fails in its shift from the past to the present. Skimping on any kind of transition, the movie abruptly cuts from a scene of 18-year-old Briony to her as an old woman. The effect is jarring, to say the least.

It is a shame that Atonement has not lived up to its full potential, but it still resonates as one of the best pictures of the year.

- Lauren Kemp

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 at 12:00 pm and is filed under Film. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.