Ian McEuen's bestselling novel "Atonement" is a bewitching and methodically plotted story posing questions about human behavior and their consequences that are not easily answered. The film adaptation follows the novel faithfully but what works on the page doesn't always work on the screen.
The film begins in the pre-WW2 years in England. A wealthy English estate, suspended in time and space in a world about to be utterly and completely changed - both that of teh characters, and the wider western world. Class, that fatal dividing line of English society, is being hedged by young Johnnie (James McAvoy). The keepers son, who balances on its tipping point, is preparing to slip its bonds by entering the middle earth and attending university.
He's in love with the eldest daughter of the estate, Cecelia (Keira Knightly) and watched by the younger sister of Ceclia, Briony (Saoirse Ronan). The film's narrative edge rests upon a mistake, a young girl's misunderstanding, and havoc the two wreck on lives.
Briony sees something she doesn't understand and falsely reports a crime she has not actually seen, which lands Johnny in jail and ruins the budding love and life of he and Ceclia, so evocatively captured in the film's first act. When the film skips forward to a slightly older Briony, she has learned enough to understand her grave error and the damage it has brought. She wants desperately to make amends, hence the title of the film.
Directed by Joe Wright, who also directed Knightly in the excellent recent version of Pride and Prejudice. He once again gets a great performance out of his leading lady, as well as the other actors. In particular the young Saoirse Ronan who is wonderful.
There are many arresting images, as well as cuts between scenes that are full of meaning and resonance. The film moves between and within time in a manner that enhances its latent suspense but also creatively weaves the story.
But the feeling by the end of Atonement is still one of gossamer and mist - a lot of atmosphere, with deeper meaning, that never quite adds up to its intended sum. Its short and it feels short as if they've somehow subtracted an important digit from the equation without telling us.
Joe Wright is a very talented director who will make many great films, but Atonement is not one of them. However, problems and all, its still a very good one.
Atonement was a pretty good flick; it looked and felt a lot like Pride and Prejudice… come to think of it, both movies have the same director, leading lady, both are based on books and both take place in England
Posted by: patrick | March 26, 2008 at 03:10 AM