Atonement (2007)

When 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) misinterprets a moment of flirtation between her older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and a servant's son, Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), her confusion and hurt feelings at Robbie's rebuttal of her crush causes Briony to accuse him as the perpetrator of a crime. Briony's childhood lie in the English countryside of 1935 irrevocably changes the lives of people forever setting into motion tragedy that leaves no one untouched and Briony seeking atonement.

The wealthy Tallis family is expecting guests so the household is aflutter. Young Briony, an aspiring writer, has just finished her first play. Her childhood crush on Robbie, the intelligent son of the housekeeper, is abruptly squashed after she foolishly attempts to drowned herself. Robbie has fallen in love with Cecilia and she has returned that love. The tone of the movie quickly advances when Briony reads a sexually explicit letter mistakenly sent to Cecilia from Robbie. When a guest of the Tallis family is assaulted, Briony is quick to accuse Robbie partly because of hurt feelings, but more so out of jealousy of her sister.

Robbie is convicted and sent to prison. Four years later, war is at hand. Robbie, given the choice, fights for England. The two lovers once separated by bars are now separated by war. Cecilia is a nurse caring for wounded soldiers. Alienated from her family for standing by his side during the trial and imprisonment, Cecilia hasn't spoken to them in years. Meeting with Robbie before he ships out brings back the emotions of yesteryear. Robbie makes the promise to come back to her.

Older and presumably wiser, Briony (now portrayed by Romola Garai) seeks redemption. Giving up her illustrious scholarship, she chooses to atone for her lie by becoming a nurse. As a student, Briony exposes herself to the most ill of soldiers hoping in some way that it will make amends for rendering her family and imprisoning an innocent man. She writes often to Ce but to no avail.

War torn Europe is no place for lovers. Each battle finds Robbie further from Ce, but pining for her still. The horrors of war, culminating at the battle of Dunkirk are bearable only because of her memory.

I can't bring myself to ruin the ending for you.

The young Saoirse Ronan is a captivating young lady. She speaks volumes in her glances and body postures. She plays the innocence of youth beautifully, but their is evil in those eyes. 1940s fashion fits waif-like Keira Knightley. She is lovely as the elder sister Cecilia. As Cecilia, Knightley gives a powerful performance as she embodies a strong woman touched by tragedy. James McAvoy is a delight. He manages to play Robbie as smart and not dull. The chemistry between Knightley and McAvoy is stunning.

Atonement is based on the critically acclaimed novel by Ian McEwan {which I haven't read}. The film is a lush period production that balances romance and drama beautifully. Visually engaging, the cinematography is sweeping and poetic-- and reminiscent of director Joe Wright's previous work, Pride & Prejudice {a favourite}. The scenes at Dunkirk stand in stark contrast to those of the Tallis estate. Gone are the ethereal gardens and genteel formality, in its place is the gritty and cratered landscape brought by war. Attention to detail is exquisite. The screenplay and dialogue is written with obvious care and authenticity. The scoring and tick of the typewriter keys are in perfect cadence.

The pacing of Atonement is markedly slow. Deft flashbacks help break the pacing; additional points of view help add facets to this multi-dimensional story.

Ultimately, Atonement is about what we see, what we think we see and what we do about what we see or think we see. The viewer is left to determine how this story ends and while I think that will frustrated many {that was, in fact, my initial reaction} no other climax would be as fitting.