Atonement review (gua.com.my)

First published in gua.com.my

8 Jan 2008

Title:

Atonement

Rating: 

8/10

Cast:

Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave, Brenda Bletyhn and Saoirse Ronan

Genre:

Drama, Romance  

Review:

Based on Ian McEwan’s best-selling novel in 2001, Atonement is one of those rare films that do justice to the book.

Accolades must be given to director Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice) and screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons) for doing such a brilliant job of transferring the themes from paper to reel. 

The film truly deserves its seven nominations at the upcoming Golden Globe awards. 

Atonement explores how a young girl motivated by jealousy and lust, irrevocably change the lives of those closest to her. 

The film opens on a hot summer day in 1935 as 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Ronan) finishes her manuscript for a play entitled ‘The Trials of Arabella’ in her lush English countryside mansion. 

Little does she know that she is about to plunge the lives of her sister Cecilia (Knightley) and Robbie Turner (McAvoy) - the housekeeper’s son who is secretly in love with Cecilia - into an indefinite chasm of separation.

Broiny first catches sight of Cecilia stripping in front of Turner at the front lawn, through the tainted glass of an upstairs window. When Cecilia dips herself into the fountain, a distorted view begins to form in Briony’s mind. It is childhood naivety or unbridled jealousy?

Through a series of events, first seen through the Briony’s perspective and then replayed for the audience through Turner’s eyes, we discover how misinterpretation and unchecked emotions can alter the present reality of our understanding. 

Through this skewed vision, Briony soon levels a serious accusation against Turner on a crime that he did not commit, and irrevocably separating the lovers. 

Five years later we find Turner fighting the Germans in France. After serving time, Turner was ‘enlisted’ in the army and is now making his way to Dunkirk to be transported back home to be with his loved one, Cecilia. 

Cecilia is now a nurse and not on speaking terms with Briony. She has not forgiven her sister for her foolish action. 

The grown-up Briony now realises the full extent of her folly. She is tormented by her misdeed and expresses her guilt and regret by typing on her typewriter when she is not nursing the sick during the day. 

Will Briony be able to atone for her wrongdoings? Will she be able to reconcile the lovers by telling the truth about her incriminating testimony? 

In over two hours, the film captured all the riches found in McEwan’s dense and very internalised novel. The intricacies of human emotions and dark impulses are masterly conveyed. 

The re-creation of the war scene at Dunkirk was simply astounding. Through a long-shot (five minutes and thirty seconds) Wright was able to portray the full-scale of the terrible landscape as described in McEwan’s novel. 

When words failed, the visuals did the talking. 

But the film would not have worked if not for the wonderful screenwriting and beautiful cinematography. Not to mention the excellent editing and an exceptional soundtrack that makes Atonement a possible forerunner during the awards season. 

Keira Knightley’s acting is commendable. However, Ronan deserves special mention for her exceptional portrayal of 13-year-old Briony. She is a star in the making. 

But a word of caution: watch out for the final scene. A question still remains: Can an artist ever atone for her wrongdoings through art? 

The film may leave you on a sad note but Atonement is one film you do not want to miss. 

     

Did you know? 

Atonement is director Joe Wright’s second feature film after 2005’s Pride & Prejudice, which is based on Jane Austen’s beloved novel. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards.

This is the second time Wright has worked with Keira Knightley, who was also cast as the main character in Pride & Prejudice. 

The long shot through Dunbirk beach took less than five takes to film.