Atonement

Director: Joe Wright

Starring: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai

Its summer 1932, and thirteen year old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) is engrossed in writing a play to be performed to her family on the night of the much anticipated return of her elder brother, Leon. However, Briony’s vivid imagination that fuels her writing talent leads her to mistake innocent flirtations between Robbie (McAvoy), the son of the family’s house keeper, and her elder sister Cecilia (Knightley) as some kind of sinister harassment. Her inventive mind and her naivety lead her believe that Robbie is guilty for an appalling crime that he did not commit, her accusations changing the lives of Robbie, herself, and her sister forever.

The film’s setting then moves forward to 1939 and against the harrowing and traumatic backdrop of the Second World War, eighteen year old Briony (Romola Garai) is now fully aware that she must seek forgiveness for her past mistakes and begin her arduous journey to her uncertain atonement.

Atonement is a beautifully shot, impeccably acted adaptation of Ian McEwan’s compelling story of love, misconstruction and regret. The complexity of the novel is intriguingly captured throughout the film, particularly towards the beginning where often the same event is shown more than once to represent the different points of view and misinterpretations of various characters. The first part of the film gives the feel of a picturesque heritage drama; the photography of the luxurious and stunning Tallis household has a warm and wistful quality that denotes a reflective mood of looking back to the past. However, the visual aspects of the film become much more coarse and dark as the more sinister elements of the story begin to unravel, and portray the universal horrors of the Second World War alongside the personal tragedies of the three main characters.

If you’re not that greater fan of Keira Knightley (as I know many aren’t) don’t let that put you off, she puts forward a very honest and believable performance as the self-important Cecilia whose superiority is crushed by the misfortunes that befall her. James McAvoy is brilliant as the reserved, yet passionate young man who has to quietly suffer the consequences of the childish delusions of Briony. Saoirse Ronan perfectly captures this image of a child gradually losing her innocence to the imagined horrors that she believes are happening around her. An outstanding cast for a completely engaging film that will keep you gripped throughout the captivating plot right through to the startling twist at the end.

Amy Flinders