We kicked off our movie going for 2008 with Atonement, which was an excellent start. The movie covers five years in the lives of Robbie (James McAvoy) and Cecilia (Keira Knightley), who have their love ripped apart by Cecilia’s younger sister, Briony. Briony tells an awful lie that has Robbie taken off to prison and eventually dropped into the middle of World War II.
I have not read the novel by Ian McEwan, so I can’t draw any comparisons to that, but I found this film to be quite amazing. The shifting of time and point of view tells the story beautifully. It’s no wonder the film was nominated for 7 Golden Globes, including Best Picture and acting honors for both McAvoy and Knightley. McAvoy, in particular, delivered a subtle performance as the war takes its toll on his character. I can’t recommend this film enough. I’m not going to say any more on the plot because it deserves to be taken in without spoilers. One other thing I will point out though is the score from Dario Marianelli. It perfectly complements the film and is deserving of the Globe nomination that it received.
Of the films we saw over the holiday period, this and Juno are the ones that deserve your attention the most.
