Atonement

Starring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Minghella, Juno Temple, Benedict Cumberbatch
Directed by: Joe Wright
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance, War
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A high-class woman (Keira Knightley) and her housekeeper's son (James McAvoy) are attracted to each other. When they begin to act on their relationship, her younger sister (Saoirse Ronan) mistakes what she sees and accuses the housekeeper's son of a crime he did not commit. This ends up having unforeseen consequences for everyone involved.

Review:

Tim: I was really looking forward to seeing this movie. I am a fan of Keira Knightley, and James McAvoy has been nothing short of impressive the last few years. The film also seemed to be directed really well, and the amount of critical praise heaped on this movie was impressive. All that being said, the movie is less than the sum of its parts. I was disappointed.

Atonement never really felt comfortable to me. I watched the movie, and I understood, but I never felt connected- never felt emotionally involved. I'm not completely sure what exactly was supposed to be happening, and why I was supposed to care. There were a few good moments, but the movie as a whole felt disconnected, boring, and ultimately, amounted to nothing. The film's conclusion takes a wild turn for the worst. This movie is unexpected, and ultimately, only works to further alienate the audience.

I will say that for the most part, the leads are quite good. Keira Knightley has a few strong moments, and mostly interacts well with McAvoy. James McAvoy gives a very good performance. I'm unbelievably impressed with him. I don't know exactly what it is, but he has charisma and is very fun to watch on screen. Knightley and McAvoy have a good deal of chemistry together. The rest of the cast besides Saoirse Ronan are mostly invisible. They don't make an impression and I can't even remember them.

Atonement has a few good moments, bur mostly, it is disappointing. It's not a terrible movie, but it is certainly not deserving of its Best Picture nomination. It is not great.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Last King of Scotland, Wanted, Pride & Prejudice