Atonement

For Bill's birthday (today) we went out for dinner and a movie last night. We went to see Atonement with Keira Knightley and James MacIvoy. Slight Disclaimer: There is a very dirty word that is featured prominently (although somewhat humorously) in the beginning of the movie, so if you're easily offended wait for it to be shown on tv where it will have to be taken out.

Atonement is based on the book of the same name my Ian McEwan, and was supposedly the book that could never be converted to a movie. This was due to the fact that the point of view and timeframe change often. Somehow, the director and writer has managed to convey these same point-of-view changes impeccably, but without dumbing it down for the audience. It's difficult to review the movie without giving an awful lot away, but the differences in perspective are integral to the plot.

The general plot revolves around Robbie, Cecilia, and Cecilia's younger sister Briony. Briony is a 13 year old aspiring author who witnesses 2 different scenes between Cecilia and Robbie that she misinterprets due to her immaturity. She then accuses Robbie of a terrible crime based on those misinterpretations. Then the movie moves forward to 4 years later as Robbie tries to make his way home from war-torn France, and consequently through Dunkirk. Cecilia and Briony are both (separately) nurses in London. The second act, as it were, simply gets into the consequences and regrets of Briony's actions.

The acting: James MacIvoy is unreal. And hot. :) He conveys so much without words at all and his chemistry with Keira Knightley is excellent. The girl that plays Briony, Saiorse Ronan, is also excellent, as well as the grown up Briony, Romola Garai. Keira Knightley does an excellent job with less screen time, and overall I think everything was superb. Also, the score by Dario Marianelli is stunningly beautiful. It has an extremely prominent role in the movie in places, which I normally don't like, but I do here. He weaves in everyday sounds, such as a typewriter, to push forward the action of the film (it's a very staccato, almost military sound), but his most beautiful work is the haunting theme of the film - "Atonement" as well as "Elegy at Dunkirk" which is played as Robbie surveys the beach at Dunkirk waiting to be evacuated. I bought both of those off of iTunes.

Overall this may be one of my favorite movies of all time. It is heartbreaking, romantic, but not boring. Two Thumbs Up!!