Atonement
In a lot of ways, the film had a lot in tone and design that reminded me of the best of the Merchant/Ivory productions-Films like Howard's End that offers viewers a few fleeting hours of good old English hospitality with shrill winds of unnamable deadliness running throughout your stay. A feat that could not come to bear without acting talents of the highest caliber.
Keira Knightley rises to the official rank of 'heavyweight' with her performance here, leaving all former critics and mockers in a wake of dust. She is photographed so gorgeously here that she made me want to crawl under my seat after the lights came up in the theatre. This was also a time for James McAvoy to finally show his true and full worth. The Academy will not pass him up. I'll eat my computer if they do.
Despite her flaws, I have to say that I adored the character of Briony, and the three actresses who portrayed her through the years all did magnificently stunning work. Saoirse Ronan portrayed Briony at her youngest when we first meet her, conveying naïveté through mesmerizing blue eyes that never seemed to blink, flashing at moments with a strange quality that shot us through with a kind of unsettling fear. Vanessa Redgrave is superbly heartbreaking as the aging Briony, now white-haired and wrinkled, shoulders weighted with the terrible oppressiveness of remorse. I saved 18-year-old Briony for last because I think that the actress who played her gives James McAvoy a real run for his money for best performance in the film. Romola Garai (catching notice in the 2006 film, Amazing Grace) is astonishing in her portrayal of Briony in what was the most difficult age and time. Juggling vulnerability, confusion, determination, fear, and the age-old complexity of moving from youth to adulthood, Briony seeks to right wrongs and do penance for her sins by volunteering as a nurse during World War II. The character of Briony is intense enough at a young age, and deeply guilt-ridden as an adult, Garai manages an incredible feat of balancing somewhere between the two.
One last honorable mention must go to Daniel Mays, who impressed in 2005's Vera Drake. Here he plays a fellow soldier of Robbie's who is forced into a kind of maternal role when he sees his friend nearing the verge of mental breakdown.
This film is undoubtedly, indisputably one of the best films to see the light of day in 2007. And another thing that is for sure is this: it is definitely not a fun movie to sit through. Not in the least. The black themes of war, pedophilia, and rape mar any enjoyment that may have been gotten out of the story. To be sure, Atonement was never meant to be a crowd pleaser on that level, but I only warn that this film is not the sweeping, epic romance that the TV spots touted it to be. The story centers on Briony, not the lovers. We grow with her, and see the world mostly through her infinite eyes. It is a testament to conscience and consequence. It is a cautionary tale in the futile exercise of attempting reconciliation and redemption with others and for oneself through purely human means. You may go into this film expecting to find romance and adventure, but you’ll leave absolutely shell-shocked.
Grading:
Story = A-
Originality = A
DVD Features = N/A
Acting = A
Enjoyability = B-
Visuals = A
Overall = A-
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