Movie Review - Atonement

I've got three movies to write about before I post my favorites five of 2007. I saw Atonement a week ago and I knew it was being critically acclaimed. I had an idea of what to expect, but the movie turned out to be pleasingly different from my expectations.

Follow up:

Atonement is set in 1930's England. The first third of the movie takes place on an estate owned by the Tallis family. Briony is the 13 year old sister of 18 year old Cecilia. They both have a secret crush on the handsome young grounds keeper of the estate, Robbie. Being 18 himself, Robbie's affections are of course directed towards the older girl, which upsets Cecilia. She's bothered by it in such a way that she imagines Robbie doing ill-conceived things he's not really doing. This eventually leads to his imprisonment and dispatch to fight in World War II. The characters all age and the ending is brilliant. It was exactly what I wanted, but wasn't expecting.

The direction in the movie is pretty good. The setting and photography really enhance the story. There are flashbacks that are done so well you don't realize you're seeing a flashback at first. The acting is excellent, especially from the little 13 year old girl who plays Briony. The score is sheik and fits the movie really well. There's a type-writer sound that I really enjoyed that was a common musical piece throughout the film.

Atonement may be labeled a romance, but it's really a drama. The romance is secondary as the characters play out a story where they all learn lessons and struggle within themselves to figure out what's going on. Of course some of what you see is real and some isn't, so you're left feeling a little bit shocked and surprised at the end. No one should skip Atonement. It's really good and deep.