Atonement

Genre: romantic drama
Director: Joe Wright
Release: 2007
Studio: Working Title Films, Kudos Film & Television et al. – Focus Features
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.4/10


A Fertile Mind is a Terrible Thing to Use


On this summery day in 1935, the English countryside is broiling and tempers are flaring at the Tallis estate. Inside the mansion, thirteen-year-old Briony (Saoirse Ronan) is disappointed that the play she has written for her brother Leon (Patrick Kennedy) will not be ready when he arrives. Meanwhile, on the grounds, her sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) is trading barbs with Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), a family employee and friend she has come to dislike. As the argument between Cee and Robbie heats up, Briony watches from a window above… and witnesses an unimaginable incident. With Harriet Walter (Emily Tallis, the mother), Juno Temple (cousin Lola), Daniel Mays (Tommy Nettle), Brenda Blethyn (Grace Turner, Robbie’s mother), John Harcourt (cousin Pierrot), Charlie von Simson (cousin Jackson), Benedict Cumberbatch (Paul Marshall), Jérémie Rénier (Luc Cornet), Nonso Anozie (Frank Mace), Vanessa Redgrave, Romola Garai and Alfie Allen.

Do first impressions count in cinema? They do here and they point to a polished, uneven and oddly unsatisfying film. In its opening sequences, ATONEMENT barely shows a pulse but a welcome spark at the half-hour mark turns it into an incendiary romantic epic… that eventually bogs down on the shores of France and delivers a frustrating anticlimax. It is not my intention to disparage Ian McEwan’s novel nor Christopher Hampton’s screenplay because their logic is understandable and their work certainly has merit but the movie’s brief final act after an extended buildup left me unfulfilled. The imbalance caused by this startling and possibly disingenuous final twist shakes ATONEMENT right down to its foundations and the movie thus concludes with a dismaying thud instead of the bang it deserved. As I watched the credits roll in disbelief, the promised atonement seemed no more than face-saving to me.

My verdict is especially disheartening since ATONEMENT, aside from its dull spots and cold ending, is a commendable film: it offers tragedy and realism, impeccable acting, lush photography, attractive sets and varied characters. Helmer Joe Wright surprised me with his use of flashbacks and alternate takes meant to confuse the viewer and show opposing points of view. The sound of a typewriter, heard when Briony appears in a scene, suggests her future occupation and how writers meld life into their fiction. Psychologically, characters are ably established but a tad predictable if you have seen a few British films dealing with class issues. On another level, ATONEMENT contains a handful of quirky moments; for instance, hanging on a wall in the sumptuous Tallis residence, you will notice a large and solemn painting of a Holstein cow! Bizarre!

That being said, I won’t make a definite call on ATONEMENT, except for the relatively low score indicated above. Yes, you can watch it if you feel inclined to do so… but be aware that this movie, like an authoritarian schoolteacher, rewards all students with a slap on the wrist, even those who pay attention. By comparison, another very British film about class and personal conflict, the finely wrought HOWARDS END, achieves exactly the opposite with its high-impact ending. Sorry!


MBiS

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