Joe Wright teams up with many of his “Pride and Prejudice” crew for his next film, “Atonement”, an adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel. The film stars Keira Knightley as rich heiress Cecilia Tallis, and James McAvoy as her gardener’s son, Robbie Turner. Cecilia’s family has put Robbie through school to be a doctor, as he is basically part of the family. When Cecilia’s little sister and budding playwright Briony, brilliantly played by Saoirse Ronan, witnesses an odd exchange between the two, her imagination runs wild. Top it off with a risqué letter from Robbie to Cecilia, and the two making love in the library (in one of the most amazing scenes in the film), and Briony is left very confused. Convinced that he is a sex maniac, she accuses him of a crime he didn’t commit, and turns everyone’s world upside down.
Having read Ian McEwan’s novel first, I was very satisfied with Christopher Hampton’s adaptation. Every aspect of this film is spectacular. The film is beautifully shot. The use of color and steadicam, especially in the long take Dunkirk scene, make for a visually stunning film. Dario Marianelli’s score is lovely, and very creative with the use of a typewriter. Keira, James, and a beautiful wardrobe don’t hurt either. There is a moment in Keira’s bedroom that she is getting ready for the dinner party, gazing in the mirror, and it seems to serve no purpose other than to show us how beautiful she is. I wonder if we feel the devastation of their lost love more because they are both gorgeous.
The casting is excellent; every single character gave a strong performance, no matter how small. I hope that the cousins actually get noticed, especially Juno Temple, who plays Lola. She looks just like the twins who are cast as her brothers Jackson and Pierrot. Patrick Kennedy, who plays Leon Tallis, is light-hearted and loveable, just as his friend Paul Marshall, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, is beatty-eyed and icky. The 18-year old Briony is played strongly by Romola Garai. She is quiet and timid, a huge change in five years, and Vanessa Redgrave brings it home with a heartbreaking delivery of the truth.
Knightley and McAvoy have serious chemistry. It is apparent when they are giddily holding hands under the dinner table, to when she whispers “Come back to me” in his ear. A natural reaction to this film is to feel like there needed to be more of Robbie and Cecilia’s love story, and that the war section of the film was not as exciting as the first act. That is totally and completely the point. The beginning of their love was exciting and passionate, and in the blink of an eye, they are ripped away from each other, leaving them, and us, cheated. We are supposed to be left wanting more; that is how we know that the love story was truly good, and that the devastation at the end has such a stronger impact. Briony is also the true main character, as protagonist and antagonist. The whole film is about her growing up and trying to atone for what she has done. The whole film is actually Briony telling the story that she wrote, and we don’t realize it until Vanessa Redgrave’s segment at the end. It is brilliant! I really hope that viewers get it, and appreciate “Atonement” for the powerful film that it is.
