Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
0.5/4
See this movie if you want to atone for your sins
Allison - wrote on 12/11/2007
Do not take my advice. I think James McAvoy is ok. I can see what the fuss is about, but I am not fussy about him myself. As an actor I hear he is very humble. And he is at the very beginning of his career and people find him charming and love him.
As for Keira Knightley, I can't stand her and her snooty accent. I wonder if it was common for the upper classes (and if they weren't upper class, why did they have plenty of money and a huge mansion?) for them to wear bohemian-dressy dresses with their nipples sticking out? Also every time Keira is stripping or having sex, her younger sister just happens to be there.
The story is set up so that James McAvoy's character is easily framed for a crime. I found it really really rotten and almost unbearable until the very end. Then, it got …
Rating of
3.5/4
Complex and fascinating
newmans_own - wrote on 12/10/2007
Thanks to Wright’s careful direction, part of ATONEMENT’s fascination is the intricate design. This is most apparent in Dario Marianelli’s luscious score that bridges the gap between diegetic and non-diegetic sound in a way never seen before; the music perfectly layers in the sounds of a typewriter, soldiers singing and playing harmonicas. A great deal of the film’s effectiveness comes from the wrenching music. The cinematography is equally impressive; the sun-drenched images of the beginning create a mood of intense heat without losing beauty. Wright favors long, often stunning tracking shots, culminating in a nearly six minute long take surveying the horror and tragedy of retreat. It is one of the most stunning films of the year aesthetically.
The entire film relies on what …
Rating of
4/4
Review - Atonement (2007)
Delorted - wrote on 12/08/2007
Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, and Vanessa Redgrave) did not know much about love when she witnessed the relationship of her sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) growing. She unintentionally changes the lives of the two in “Atonement.”
Every once in a while a film comes along that leaves you utterly speechless. I had a feeling from the beginning that this would be one of those films. From beginning to end, “Atonement” is a fantastic, beautifully told story. The characters’ relationships are perfectly done, both in writing and acting.
I was absolutely stunned at how well Knightley did in this film, though her only other work I’ve currently seen is the “Pirates” trilogy. Her and Ronan both deserve Supporting Actress …
