02/16/2012 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

"Atonement" by Yojimbo

A young man is sent to prison for attempted rape by circumstantial evidence and the testimony of a sexually confused and jealous young girl, leading to his conscription to the army and experiences in war torn France. The quivering lower lips and forlorn glances of a repressed love affair. Check. Picture postcard images of merry old England. Check. Haunting images of war. Check. Yes, this typically British period romance has all the elements that make it ripe for award nominations and the adoration of Daily Mail readers everywhere and it has the solid performances, vaguely intellectualized script and attractively over embellished visuals you would expect. It is also as rather pretentious, rather sterile and rather too pleased with itself. In other words, a decent wartime melodrama that's n...

Rating of
2.5/4 

01/20/2011 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Decent

When all is said and done I'm actually pleasantly surprised by this movie. First the bad: As for it being a romance it falls horribly short. It falls into the same shortcomings as many other romance movies who choose the lazy rout of sticking boy A and girl B into a room together and the audience is supposed to believe they are insanely in love with one another when no reasoning for this is ever shown. In fact this movie is one of the worst I've ever seen in that area. The one thing that is said about these characters is they had known eachother for years, barely spoke despite their close proximity and literally in the span of one day and two less than 5 minute conversations about basically nothing they are madly in love to the point they are willing to wait relentlessly for one another f...

Rating of
2.5/4 

04/26/2009 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Wishy-Washy...?

It's strange.

The cinematography is stunning...there are several difficult or unique shots here, which make me want to give it more credit..and the love letter montage (with several attempts set to various songs) was gorgeous...but as far as the movie goes as a whole......."Eh"

Unlike a few people here on Filmcrave whose opinions I continuously respect, I DO find McAvoy to be pleasing onscreen...he has the mannerisms of a stage actor, and when he (really) shoots, he scores, so his presence here increases my overall opinion....but at the risk of sounding superficial, Knightly in a backless dress is never a good idea, and this was an image that was unnecessarily repeated.

There were weak points in the screenplay, I'm guessing the novel is the way to go - but visually, this is certa...

Rating of
2.5/4 

12/29/2008 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Based on Ian McEwan?s award wining novel of the same name, Atonement tells the story of A British romance that spans several decades. Fledgling writer Briony Tallis, as a 13-year-old, irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit.

I?ve waited several months to see Joe Wright?s second feature film ?Atonement? and it did not disappoint. For an only second feature film by 35 old Joe Wright, it?s absolutely astonishing. Directed superbly on all levels. From the stunning Dunkirk visuals, to several Point of view shots empathising each character?s need and feelings at that point, you can?t help but feel intertwined in the story and with the characters. I haven?t seen such an epic of a film since The English Patient, I h...

Rating of
4/4 

07/14/2008 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Pretty Good, But Could Have Been Better

I expected a lot coming into this film because of all the hype. I'm mildly disappointed because it was so different from what I had imagined but I cannot deny the fact that it is well done, especially with its pacing. Even though it was only two hours long, for an epic story, it is really focused. James McAvoy and Kiera Knightley shine whenever they're both on screen so it was never boring. While watching the film, I felt like I was in that time period they were trying to portray because of the realism of the clothes, the furnitures, and the way everyone acted and spoke. This is a film of many layers so I didn't understand everything that was going on. Maybe I'd have to watch it a second time to fully appreciate it. The ending was absolutely sweeping because I thought it would end a certa...

Rating of
3/4 

06/18/2008 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

Atonement

Briony Tallis, a pretentious, mature 13 year old girl, becomes so envious of the relationship between her older sister, Cecilia, and her childhood friend, Robbie, that after her Lola becomes raped, she untruthfully blames it on Robbie. For this, Robbie is convicted of rape, and goes to jail for four years, and when he gets out, goes into the War (this movie is set during World War II). This movie portrays all the things that are affected by Briony's accusation, and the effect it has on Cecilia and Robbie. This movie, in my opinion, was not excellent, but it was good. When I first saw it, however, I watched it thinking that Briony was going to accuse Robbie of raping her, so some parts were a little confusing- I should have read a review before I saw the movie. But, overall, it was a prett...

Rating of
3/4 

05/22/2008 (0 of 1 found this helpful)

One of 2007's best!!!

Terrific film. Keira Knightley once again proves herself as one of the best actresses of her generation. Some of the film seem a little bit slow, and even dry, but the viewer can get over it pretty quickly. The film banks off of the intense love connection between McAvoy and Knightley, along with the almost creepy, ignorant, and seemingly innocent sister Briany, played by newcomer Saoirse Ronan. The film is more stunning then one would think, in all aspects including the scenery, tone, and the content. Redgrave does a terrific job as well, and this is definitely a major candidate for best picture this year, just because there hasn't been a movie like this since Titanic. This is definitely one of the best films of the year, but other films such as There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Me...

Rating of
3.5/4 

03/09/2008 (2 of 2 found this helpful)

Atonement: Well worth seeing

The opening scene of Atonement, which pans through an English country estate to find a little girl sitting at her typewriter, immediately pulled me into 1935 England. The flowery wallpaper and dusty wooden children’s toys felt so real to me, it was as if I had lived during that time, and there I stayed throughout the film.

As the movie opens, we see Briony Tallis, a 13-year-old writer played by the effervescent Saoirse Ronan, putting the finishing touches on a play that she has just written and plans to produce with her cousins. The war is a major character in the story, which centers around a turn of events involving Briony, altering her life and that of those around her. One of those people is her older sister, Cecilia, played by Keira Knightley. This actress has matured from he...

Rating of
4/4 

02/09/2008 (0 of 1 found this helpful)

I really did not see what the fuss is about

The only good thing Atonement has is a visually stunning cinematography that’s about it. The film’s gibberish, there is really nothing interesting about it. I find myself falling asleep several occasions that I had to rewind it again and again for me to see what did I missed. Kiera Knightley isn’t great she did pretty basic for me. What the heck are those critics thinking honestly I don’t see what the fuss is about? Well I guess looking at fashion is the same as looking in a movie like this. Sometimes one big name critic will say this movie is great and everybody will believe him, just the same in fashion if a top designer says this one is hot. Overall what Atonement does is bore you or rather test your patience. How long can you withstand the almost two hours of nonsense. I should be giv...

Rating of
1.5/4 

01/21/2008 (0 of 0 found this helpful)

What one lie can do

I went into this movie not really knowing what to expect - would it be romance, drama, war, etc. Turns out it's all of those told in a very interesting way. Knightley and McAvoy are excellent as lovers torn apart by a misunderstanding from a young girl. The first act sets this up, the second shows how the estrangement affects them both (mainly McAvoy, who goes to war over prison), and the final act is how the young girl, now 5 years later "atones" for what she realizes was wrong. The final few moments are devastating as Vanessa Redgrave makes the most of her small screen time and wraps up the story. The film works based on its strong performances, excellent direction and smart cinematography. There's a great scene in the middle that lasts for about 5 minutes as McAvoy and two comrad...

Rating of
3/4