"Atonement" is a period piece. . It's a movie about love, guilt, and the horrors of war. But don't let the term "period piece" scare you away. This is one of the most exhilirating movies of the year. My full review is right after the jump....
Man it's hard being a child playwrite. Brioly Tallis is one tough little cookie. She's a young girl with big dreams - one a crush on her older sister's lover. When Brioly falsely accuses Robbie (the lover, played brilliantly by James McAvoy) of a horrible crime, he's sent far away. Both from Brioly, and her older sister (the never-been-better Keira Knightly). It's a just punishment in Brioly's eyes. If nobody's happy, they're all happy.
"Atonement" is directed by Joe Wright, probably best known for his work on the most recent version of "Pride and Prejudice." This is a man who knows romance. Take a look at this clip:
This wonderful sequence shows us two people who are longing for each other, just not sure how to tell each other about it. "Atonement" is one of those movies that just leaks emotion, with each puff of cigarette smoke, with each look through a cracked door. Yet still, it moves at breakneck speed, mostly because of the amazing musical score. You'd think movies had done it all when it comes to putting a music track together. Dario Marianelli's score uses the chigging and clanging of an old typewriter as its driving beat. I found myself smiling and wanting to lean forward each time it kicked into gear.
Look for awards to be thrown at the two leads in this movie, but I really hope young Saoirse Ronan is remembered for her work as the 13-year-old Brioly. She gives the role a perfect haunting stare, as if she knows the decision she makes will change the lives of everyone around. And Joe Wright, what can I say? Just watch this shot:
Of course it begs a reference to the opening sequence in Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil." We haven't seen a shot this well choreographed in some time, probably since Robert Altman's opening in "The Player." In one slow, swooping camera movement Wright shows us the heartbreak and peril of soldiers left at war. It's one of those movie moments that sticks with you for a while. Probably forever.
I love "Atonement." It's one of my Top 3 films of 2007. A perfect $10 out of $10 on the Leshock Value scale.
