Atonement (2007)

Wonderful character development!

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I was ready to punch the eject button on the player after about 15-20 minutes. The movie, however, was laying the ground work for an excellent story during that time and, frankly, it got a little old but I stuck with it. Then Briony told her lie and off the story went. My rating went from 2, maybe 3, to a 9 by the time the credits rolled. That has never happened to me before. And what an ending. The acting, the direction, the music, the sets, the costumes, and the story were all worthy of at least a 9. 9 or 10s are very rare for me.

This is one of my favourite movies and McAvoy's execution of his character is one of the reason why it is so! absolutely heart wrenching character! i feel that witnessing his character alone is reason enough to watch this film.

Sprawling across six decades, it chronicles a crime and the unfortunate consequences that follow. I have yet to see all of Joe Wright's filmography at the time of this review, but this is easily his most competent. Having not read the source material, I've heard that the book's structure makes it rather difficult to adapt. Seemingly Wright made it look easy. Embedding character perspectives, integrating flashbacks and utilising a clear three act structure. The journey we are taken on seems small in scale but draws in on the vast historical events of WWII to make an epic romance. It portrays how a child's vivid imagination and innocence of youth can cause damage to others in years to come. A false accusation that splits young love apart. There's something so ominous and vindictive about such a feeble mistake, that it packs one heck of a punch to the heart. The characters portrayed are all played out incredibly well and become fully developed by the heartbreaking end, which I'm sure will depress you all. It's a resonating tale, but one not without shock value. Some career best performances from Knightley, McAvoy and Ronan. They all captured the elegance and lavish lifestyle of the first act to then succumb to the emotional devastation of acts two and three. Wright's bold direction is what truly captivates, particularly the infamous one take scene of Dunkirk's evacuation. The props, the extras, the camera placement...it all came together to create an aria of desolation. It was sublime. The sound editing was notably fantastic also, especially the cacophony of typewriting sounds. Marianelli's score was beautifully haunting and deserved all the recognition it got. I do find the acts to be incredibly different and jarring, which consequently means I have to take a few minutes to adapt to the adjusted tempo of the narrative. Also, the gorgeous cinematography slowly fades as the running time gradually concludes. However, this is a solid piece of cinema that showcases excellent talent on and off screen.

At a gathering in a country house a jealous little girl intervenes in her sister's love life, and things will never be the same ...From an interesting novel that had an engrossing first half but, for me, trailed off in the second. So I had a different experience with the film adaptation, where the country house scenes are not quite satisfying but the following war story is brilliantly told. The narrator is a fascinating little character, but looking back I think her motivation needed to be colder and her atonement more problematic. In the end the story is wrapped up with a talking head, which I guess was unavoidable but not the mark of a great movie.The long tracking shot on the beach at Dunkirk is amazing - not only a technical marvel (the amount of ground covered, the multiple interactions) but it creates a great sense of chaos and despair.Performances are good, and it's no wonder people raved about Ronan. The music is excellent and plays about with the rhythm of a tapping type writer. Photography too, although I didn't get the sense of oppressive heat in the first act.Overall: interesting and impressive, but some big flaws.