Atonement [2007]

Adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by Ian McEwan, Atonement will pull you in for being a tale of romance of the non-weepy kinds and with adult sensibilities in mind, and then push you out just a bit because of it’s attempt at being impressive without being memorable. The joyous gathering of friends and family to a wealthy English family with stiff upper lips turns haywire when a naïve and vengeful young girl accuses the guy (James McAvoy) her elder sister (Keira Knightley) is falling for of a crime he never committed; and with the World War II brewing in the backdrop, the lives of all involved get irreversibly altered one way or the other. In terms of technical achievement the movie is a thumping success. Audacious narrative styles coupled with fine camera work and a background score that is as ingenuous as it is unique, add to the wow factor of the movie. And this technical virtuosity reached jaw-dropping proportions in the Dunkirk scene brilliantly captured through an incredible long take. However that said, the adroitness shown in the movie’s construction and packaging does at times come in the way of capturing the story’s emotional depth, thus leaving me a bit cold at times – perhaps a more old-fashioned storytelling might have helped there.





Director: Joe Wright
Genre: Drama/Psychological Drama/War/Romance
Language: English
Country: UK