Atonement (A or 4/4 stars)
In 1935, most Brits were still reeling from the effects of World War I. But a 2nd World War was on the horizon. Residing on a gorgeous estate in an enormous countryside mansion, nestled away from all the war rumblings, the privileged Tallis family were experiencing the hottest day of the summer. 13 yr. old Briony (Saoirse Ronan), an imaginative, articulate girl with aspirations of becoming a novelist, witnesses the growing affections btwn. life-long acquaintances, Cecilia, and their servant boy, Robbie. Not only is Briony jealous, but events (during the day) unfold which lead her to believe that Robbie intends to seduce her sister against her will. And when a cousin staying with the family is raped later that night, Briony steps forward to the police with an incriminating lie (or is it?)
Cecilia & Robbie (Keira Knightley, James McAvoy) love each other. But that love is tested; both while he's in prison, & for the years that follow as he fights in the British Army. Cecilia withdraws from her family & becomes a wartime nurse; longing for a time when she & Robbie can reunite for good (in a cottage on the sea). And Briony, now 18 yrs. old (a stellar Romola Garai), also becomes a nurse, hoping to do something 'right' for a change. Knowing what she did as a child was wrong, she embarks on a harrowing, miserable journey of atonement & forgiveness. But 'attaining' that forgiveness, or even understanding the power of enduring love remains a struggle. It is Briony, not Cecilia & Robbie, who is the epicenter ... the cold, trapped heart of the story.
This film is immaculate; made so precisely, deliberately, & beautifully, that it's hard not to be enthralled by its ambitions alone. The opening Act builds slowly, methodically setting the stage for the 2nd Act and epilogue (where an elderly Briony, well-played by Vanessa Redgrave, divulges events that occurred after that summer night in 1935). This 1st Act (in the countryside estate) is laden with nuance. A gesture, a side comment, a look ... is enough to immerse you with what's going on (both between the ears of young Briony, and between the young couple whose suppressed feelings for each other are about to boil over). Joe Wright employs a cinematic technique which lets us see certain events from 2 different perspectives; it helps us better understand what happened on that fateful day.
By the time the story leaps to the war, we've come to know these characters, & what their reunion(s) would signify. The scenes where Robbie is weaving in & out the war torn French countryside (hiding, stumbling upon bodies) becomes a bit tedious. But once he reaches the Dunkirk shore, Joe Wright shoots a lengthy, awe-inspiring steadicam shot of the entire scene at the beach. Great care was given in this ode to the men who lost their lives at this critical juncture of the war. This segment shows that war is not about heroes or villains, it's about death & destruction. And Cecilia shows, here, that all the $$ and social status in the world can't make you happy if you don't have love. The film thrives in the first hour. But the second hour isn't without it's share of power & heartbreak, as well.
Wright offers meticulous direction. Dario Marianelli's musical score is genius. He incorporates the banging-of-keys on a typewriter (SO integral here) into the gripping, lilting music; its effect while you're watching events of the plot unfold is part & parcel to the outcome of the story. The cinematography, art direction & costumes are drippingly gorgeous. Speaking of drip, I also picked up on a very important theme of 'water' in the film (the all-important fountain scene, a bathtub scene, a river scene, the washing of hands, a longing for the sea, some drowning references); water is clean & pure, traits that Briony longs for her entire life.
McAvoy is outstanding as our multi-faceted hero whose life is disastrously, unnecessarily ruined. Apart from being a captivating figure onscreen, Knightley lends a crafty performance herself. And Saoirse Ronan is incredible as young Briony. If we don't 'get' her, loathe her, understand her from early on, then the film would fail. I wasn't bowled over by the romance (i.e., Jack & Rose's compellingly tragic end in Titanic). But Cecilia & Robbie were never given any time for anything more than lust, & the longing for a life they just only realized they'd want together. It was taken so abruptly in the early stages of their budding love. Based on a popular romance/war novel, 'Atonement' was said to be an un-filmable book. But Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice) comes awfully close to adapting a masterpiece of complex cinematic storytelling. With small quibbles aside, 'Atonement' makes for an intelligent, sensuous, shatteringly sad movie to behold.
Cecilia & Robbie (Keira Knightley, James McAvoy) love each other. But that love is tested; both while he's in prison, & for the years that follow as he fights in the British Army. Cecilia withdraws from her family & becomes a wartime nurse; longing for a time when she & Robbie can reunite for good (in a cottage on the sea). And Briony, now 18 yrs. old (a stellar Romola Garai), also becomes a nurse, hoping to do something 'right' for a change. Knowing what she did as a child was wrong, she embarks on a harrowing, miserable journey of atonement & forgiveness. But 'attaining' that forgiveness, or even understanding the power of enduring love remains a struggle. It is Briony, not Cecilia & Robbie, who is the epicenter ... the cold, trapped heart of the story.
This film is immaculate; made so precisely, deliberately, & beautifully, that it's hard not to be enthralled by its ambitions alone. The opening Act builds slowly, methodically setting the stage for the 2nd Act and epilogue (where an elderly Briony, well-played by Vanessa Redgrave, divulges events that occurred after that summer night in 1935). This 1st Act (in the countryside estate) is laden with nuance. A gesture, a side comment, a look ... is enough to immerse you with what's going on (both between the ears of young Briony, and between the young couple whose suppressed feelings for each other are about to boil over). Joe Wright employs a cinematic technique which lets us see certain events from 2 different perspectives; it helps us better understand what happened on that fateful day.
By the time the story leaps to the war, we've come to know these characters, & what their reunion(s) would signify. The scenes where Robbie is weaving in & out the war torn French countryside (hiding, stumbling upon bodies) becomes a bit tedious. But once he reaches the Dunkirk shore, Joe Wright shoots a lengthy, awe-inspiring steadicam shot of the entire scene at the beach. Great care was given in this ode to the men who lost their lives at this critical juncture of the war. This segment shows that war is not about heroes or villains, it's about death & destruction. And Cecilia shows, here, that all the $$ and social status in the world can't make you happy if you don't have love. The film thrives in the first hour. But the second hour isn't without it's share of power & heartbreak, as well.
Wright offers meticulous direction. Dario Marianelli's musical score is genius. He incorporates the banging-of-keys on a typewriter (SO integral here) into the gripping, lilting music; its effect while you're watching events of the plot unfold is part & parcel to the outcome of the story. The cinematography, art direction & costumes are drippingly gorgeous. Speaking of drip, I also picked up on a very important theme of 'water' in the film (the all-important fountain scene, a bathtub scene, a river scene, the washing of hands, a longing for the sea, some drowning references); water is clean & pure, traits that Briony longs for her entire life.
McAvoy is outstanding as our multi-faceted hero whose life is disastrously, unnecessarily ruined. Apart from being a captivating figure onscreen, Knightley lends a crafty performance herself. And Saoirse Ronan is incredible as young Briony. If we don't 'get' her, loathe her, understand her from early on, then the film would fail. I wasn't bowled over by the romance (i.e., Jack & Rose's compellingly tragic end in Titanic). But Cecilia & Robbie were never given any time for anything more than lust, & the longing for a life they just only realized they'd want together. It was taken so abruptly in the early stages of their budding love. Based on a popular romance/war novel, 'Atonement' was said to be an un-filmable book. But Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice) comes awfully close to adapting a masterpiece of complex cinematic storytelling. With small quibbles aside, 'Atonement' makes for an intelligent, sensuous, shatteringly sad movie to behold.