Atonement - REVIEW

perhaps reading the book was a mistake. The plot is very easy to memorize (almost scene by scene) and to have to wait for certain things to appear made it feel a bit slower than it probably was. This aside, the film remains extremely well constructed and Joe Wright proves himself to be a fantastic director....and it's only his second film. Combining tracking shots, which are used to different effect than the charming, dreamlike ones in Pride and Prejudice, with extreme close-ups in which he tilts or shakes the camera slightly do something incredibly effective. This is a man who knows exactly what he's doing when it comes to directing. Every shot is done in a particular way, but it never feels stilted or contrived. The same can not be said for the acting. Actually that's too harsh. The acting is actually very good, but it's just very.....British....very restrained....so much so that Wright's glorious direction overpower the performances which are very well done, but which may not fare well with the Academy. They like to see a bit more showiness, and even if it's a subtle performance, you need to be showy with your subtlety to appease them. However, this aside, the acting is very accomplished especially from rising star James McAvoy (Narnia, The Last King of Scotland) and newcomer Saoirse Ronan (very strong). Keira Knightley is very good at doing the whole "stiff upper lip" act and she finally stopped doing that chin-jutting thing from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. That said, her performance in Wright's Pride and Prejudice was better because she had a bit more to do with her character. In P &P, there was the tension built between Lizzy and Mr. Darcy, but here Cecelia is always in love with Robbie (McAvoy). Romola Garai and Vanessa Redgrave help complete the fine work set up by young Ronan, and do admirable jobs, with Redgrave's portion having a bit more impact. That being said, having read the book so close to the release of the movie, portions of the story telling feel a bit rushed or hurried when they should just feel "taut and well paced". And then there's Dario Marianelli's score which I reviewed in a separate post a while ago. Good lord this man knows how to compose gorgeous music. At times though, his score takes up a bit too much of the spotlight, and the film pulls too many violin strings and not enough heartstrings. Like the music, the film's other artistic and technical aspects are stunning as well. It's hard to believe this thing was made on a budget of $30 million when everything looks so gorgeous. Much like "The Golden Compass" the cinematography relies heavily on the brilliant use of balancing light and dark. In the opening portion of the film, people and objects often appear to have a sublime halo of sunlight cast around them. In the end, Wright's second film is an odd one because it lacks the absolute perfect balance that Pride and Prejudice had. It's not a disappointment....it's just a bit different than what I expected....and this is from someone who actually read the book...



Grade: A-

Current Nominations: Best Picture (#3), Best Director - Joe Wright (#1 WINNER sorry Coen brothers..), Best Actor - James McAvoy (#5), Best Actress - Keira Knightley (#4), Best Supporting Actress - Saoirse Ronan (#3), Best Supporting Actress - Vanessa Redgrave (#5), Best Adapted Screenplay (#3), Best Editing (#4), Best Costume Design (#3), Best Cinematography (#1 WINNER/TIE), Best Art Direction(#1 WINNER/TIE), Best Original Score (#1 WINNER WINNER WINNER)