--ATONEMENT--
Atonement was released in 2007. Directed by Joe Wright and based on a critically acclaimed novel of the same name, by Ian McEwan. Starring: James McAvoy, Keira Knightly, Saoirse Ronan and Vanessa Redgrave. - Genre: Drama/Romance/War - BBFC Rating: 15 - Running Time: 123 ... Read review
On the hottest day of the summer of 1935 thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis sees her older ... more
sister Cecilia (Kiera Knightley) strip off her clothes and plunge into the fountain in the garden of their country house. Watching Cecilia is their housekeeper's son Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) a childhood friend who along with Briony's sister has recently graduated from Cambridge. By the end of that day the lives of all three will have been changed forever. Robbie and Cecilia will have crossed a boundary they had never before dared to approach and will have become victims of the younger girl's scheming imagination and Briony will have committed a dreadful crime the guilt for which will colour her entire life.
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Atonementreunites Keira Knightley with herPride&Prejudicedirector, Joe Wright, for the ... more
movie based on Ian McEwans book of the same name. The result? Once of the most widely acclaimed pictures of 2007.Atonementtells the story of Cecilia Tallis (Knightley), and the housekeepers son, Robbie Turner (played by the increasingly prevalent James McAvoy). Set during the heat of 1935, their coming together and the ensuing drama brings in Cecilias thirteen-year old sister, Briony, whose actions prove to have far-reaching repercussions.With a terrific cast and superb direction from the aforementioned Wright, its utterly understandable as to howAtonementhas earned itself such praise. Diligently told, with some superb photography, Wright is blessed by terrific central performances by Knightley and McAvoy, both of whom have never been better. His trick also is to get the pacing of the film bang-on, taking his time to build up and layer events before he looks for any kind of pay off.As a result, asAtonementheads into its latter stages, it proves itself as a top quality drama, with a real emotional punch. Furthermore, its one of the increasingly rare breed of films that sticks in your head for days after.As a result, for once, it really is worth seeing what critics the world over have been raving about:Atonementreally is something very special indeed. --Jon Foster
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Production Year: 2003 - Drama - Director: Michael Winterbottom - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Tim Robbins, Samantha Morton, Om Puri, Jeanne Balibar
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Advantages: A beautiful film with stunning cinematography. Disadvantages: None.
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Atonement was released in 2007. Directed by Joe Wright and based on a critically acclaimed novel of the same name, by Ian McEwan. Starring: James McAvoy, Keira Knightly, Saoirse Ronan and Vanessa Redgrave. - Genre: Drama/Romance/War - BBFC Rating: 15 - Running Time: 123 Minutes -
Music by Dario Marianelli. Cinematography Seamus McGarvey.
Atonement is a story of an upper class family who live ... .../>
Atonement is an incredibly beautiful film and one that moves at an urgent pace. From the very opening scene when Bryony is hurriedly finishing writing the play on her typewriter, the tap of the keys forms the beat of the music and it is sharp and urgent and the whole feel underlying is that of a frantic nature and of a foreboding. This is brilliantly done and throughout the film strange sounds such as these, are picked out and ... more
--ATONEMENT--
Atonement was released in 2007. Directed by Joe Wright and based on a critically acclaimed novel of the same name, by Ian McEwan. Starring: James McAvoy, Keira Knightly, Saoirse Ronan and Vanessa Redgrave. - Genre: Drama/Romance/War - BBFC Rating: 15 - Running Time: 123 Minutes -
Music by Dario Marianelli. Cinematography Seamus McGarvey.
Atonement is a story of an upper class family who live in a huge country mansion. It is set initially in 1935 pre war Britain and it is a very interesting and complex film. Basically it is the tale of the relationship of two sisters and a local man. A love triangle of sorts. Bryony is thirteen, and a very Precocious, sensitive, creative and highly strung individual. Her older sister Cecilia is a vivacious, 20 something, and is a very beautiful creature indeed. Bryony harbours a fascination with her sister and a jealousy of the attention that centres on her. There is a man at the heart of this tale, Robbie, the housekeeper's son whose studies have been financed by Cecilia's father and whom Cecilia is very much in love with. She keeps it hidden though, because, as she says to Bryony, when asked by her sister, why she didn't really talk to him any more; Cecilia's reply was, "Because we move in different circles". So here the class divide was evidently separating the love that they felt for one another.
Whilst collecting flowers in the grounds a vase is broken and Cecilia strips off and plunges in to the fountain water to retrieve the broken piece, as she surfaces, Robbie is filled with desire at witnessing her body through her wet clothes. Unable to put his passion into words, Robbie goes home and composes a note to her. He composes two actually, one is crude and sexual where he has written down what he what like to do to her in his fantasies, and he uses the C word. The other is more formal and is the correct one which he means to send. He rushes down to the meadow and sees Bryony running wildly through the grass and he asks her to deliver his note to Cecilia before he arrives for dinner at the big house later that evening. On reaching home, to his horror, he realises that he has included the wrong note in the letter.
Now, Bryony has a huge crush on Robbie, an intense infatuation and at thirteen can't identify just what these feelings mean. One day Bryony throws herself into the lake to see if Robbie will save her, which of course he does, and like some great romantic scene from a movie Bryony says, "You saved my life", I owe you everything, you are my hero. Bryony is a very gifted young woman and writes plays for her cousins to perform and on the very night that they are due to do just this, after the big dinner, a strange and very dark happening occurs that will alter the lives of Cecilia, Bryony and Robbie forever. -
Atonement is an incredibly beautiful film and one that moves at an urgent pace. From the very opening scene when Bryony is hurriedly finishing writing the play on her typewriter, the tap of the keys forms the beat of the music and it is sharp and urgent and the whole feel underlying is that of a frantic nature and of a foreboding. This is brilliantly done and throughout the film strange sounds such as these, are picked out and featured as a tempo and beat as part of the musical score. There is urgency running right through the heart of this film and it shown in fast movement, fast cuts and the cast always walking quickly accompanied by the haunting and hugely moving piano playing and the wonderful musical score.
There is strange use of flashbacks and flash forwards at odd times during the film though it is not hard to keep up, but it does throw you off balance a bit and this is probably what was intended. The film is striking, not only in its stunning use of cinematography, and this is some of the best I've ever seen without a doubt, but also in the amazing propping in this film. It captured the era perfectly. Every detail, every prop was beautifully chosen and the flow of the film was perfectly believable because wherever the eye was cast, every item was on keeping. There is so much to applaud within the film. The costumes and make-up, the casting, which was fantastic and where ever they found the two curly, red haired twin cousins was incredible. They looked like something out of Famous Five, so in keeping with the era.
Much like 'Sliding Doors' when you are given two scenarios of a given situation, then Atonement does similar and more. They will show a scene from one angle and viewpoint and then they show it from another person's perspective. This is incredibly powerful film making and I loved the use of this. The whole film worked amazingly well on every level. The story is superb, intricate and highly interesting, moving and very poignant. I never get emotional watching a film but with Atonement the sheer beauty of it all just swept me away and the heartbreaking realism on display did get to me I have to admit. The film showed the 'upstairs downstairs' aspect well and the class divide of rural England. As the film changes in time, the reconstruction and images of a war torn era and the spirit of Dunkirk were shown in dramatic and accurate form. There is nothing not to praise here. Every last detail was as it should be.
The acting was first class James McAvoy gave a blinding performance as Robbie, entirely believable and superbly sincere and Keira Knightly was spellbinding. The camera loves her and her close-ups were perfection. She really is very beautiful. For me, those two gave the finest performances. The supporting cast were also extremely good. The direction is superb and the story has an incredible depth to it. What stole the film for me ultimately, was the stunning countryside and beautiful lakes. The cinematography was some of the best I've ever witnessed. It captured every fine detail in such amazing use of the close up. The sweeping angles of the poppy fields, the blades of grass, the swirl on the water of the lake and the breathtaking underwater cinematography had me spellbound throughout.
The music was also absolutely incredible all the way through the film. Music is running through the core of this film which aids brilliantly in creating the huge atmosphere and emotion throughout. The music and cinematography worked hand in hand with ease to create a visually and audibly spectacular masterpiece of a film and basically I can't praise it enough. Atonement won many awards including an Oscar.- Music by Dario Marianelli Cinematography Seamus McGarvey
Thank you for reading Morning_Becomes_Electra July 2008*
Advantages: It's wonderful Disadvantages: It's sad and moving
...wrongdoing.
The story of Atonement begins in the sumptuous and idyllic setting of an upper class family who live in a huge country mansion. It initially takes place in 1935 pre war Britain and it is a very compelling and complex film. Basically it is the tale of the relationship of two sisters and a local man. A love triangle of sorts. Bryony is thirteen, and a very precocious, sensitive, creative and highly strung individual. Her older sister Cecilia ... ...Robbie forever. - Atonement is an incredibly beautiful film and one that moves at an urgent pace. From the very opening scene when Bryony is hurriedly finishing writing the play on her typewriter, the tap of the keys forms the beat of the music and it is sharp and urgent and the whole underlying feeling is one of a frantic nature and a dark foreboding. This is brilliantly done and throughout the film strange sounds such as these, are picked out and ...
britum2000 04.01.2009 (05.01.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Atonement (DVD)
Advantages: Beautiful cinematography, committed performances, an innovative score. Disadvantages: The mannered acting made everything seem a little forced.
On a sweltering day in England in 1935, the Tallis family gather for the weekend. The oppressive heat creates a sense of forbidding that is realised all too soon. Youngest child and would-be writer Briony sees a series of exchanges between her elder sister Cecilia and Robbie Turner, the university-educated son of their housekeeper. She misinterprets the events, leading her to accuse Robbie of a terrible crime he did not commit. The accusation destroys ... ..."Pride and Prejudice" director Joe Wright returns with only his second feature film and a hell of a picture it is too. You have to have real bottle to tackle a novel thought unfilmable and Wright does so with aplomb. He approaches it as a high-end heritage film take on an epic love story. The whole production looks amazing; very glossy with great attention to period detail. The opening scenes are drenched in golden hues that reflect the idea of a ...
afy9mab 07.01.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Atonement (DVD)
Atonement is a 2007 film based on the romantic novel by the English writer Ian McEwan. The film was directed by Joe Wright and stars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. Atonement was released in the United Kingdom on September 7th 2007. Running time of the movie is one hundred and twenty three minutes ( just over two hours!). The film is a fifteen certificate. I will now try and describe what the film is about without giving too much of the plot away ... ...plot description : Atonement is set in the 1930's. Briony an enthusiastic writer aged thirteen and Cecilia are sisters who come from an extremely wealthy family. Robbie (the son of the family's housekeeper) is doing some gardening at the rich family's estate and in return their father is paying for Robbie's education at Cambridge university , where Cecilia also attends. Briony has a crush on Robbie ,so when she finds him and her sister together in ...
xdonzx 01.01.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Atonement (DVD)
Advantages: Well acted Disadvantages: Sprawling epic
...was reticent to rent this, Atonement almost a tribute to that three hour groan in all but name. It's a visually stunning and authentic piece make no mistake and Keira Knightly is the stand out performance as the decadent moneyed daughter from the manor, but the central love story between her and James McAvoy has little chemistry and so not a truly romantic film in any way, or at least in my book, the film as cold as a broken fridge in the North Pole, ... ...in the video store, so Atonement my final selection for the Blockbuster five films for five quid deal to get me through this inclement spell of weather. I've been putting it off because I feared it would be another English Patient but to be fair it's not too boring and I lasted the two hours. Why Oscar chasing movies always have to be over two hours is beyond me but at least there was some sort of story to fill those two hours here, these big movies ...
thedevilinme 14.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Atonement (DVD)
Advantages: A strong adaptation, great performance from McAvoy, moving Disadvantages: It was never going to be as good as the book....
I have recently read 'Atonement' by Ian McEwan (and reviewed it here if you're interested) and we, the book club, decided to watch the film after we'd talked about the book. I really enjoyed the book and so I was a bit concerned that the film would be a disappointment as adaptations of books so often are. But the film was the most nominated of 2007, which bode well, and now that I have seen it, I would agree that the film's success at last night's ... ...is a budding writer, full of imagination and drama. On a very hot day in 1935 she witnesses and misunderstands a number of events between her elder sister, Cecilia, and Robbie Turner, the gifted son of the housekeeper whose education has been funded by the head of the Tallis household. Cecilia and Robbie are just realising their love for each other whilst Briony is misconstruing Robbie as a monster. When a crime is committed within the grounds of ...
sonic0209 11.02.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Atonement (DVD)
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Advantages: Great cast, Outstanding action, Good Music, Nice character development. Disadvantages: Not for those who hate action
characters. The atmosphere created is eerie at times and shocking at others just as a thriller should be.
* SOUNDTRACK *
Again the music was composed by John Powell so it is similar and some tracks are the same from the first movie.
1. Goa - (3:00)
2. The Drop - (3:42)
3. Funeral Pyre - (2:21)
4. Gathering Data - (1:54)
5. Nach Deutschland - (2:40)
6. To the Roof - (5:32)
7. New Memories - (2:48)
8. Berlin Foot Chase - (5:16)
9. Alexander Platz/Abbotts Confesses - (3:34)
10. Moscow Wind Up - (6:54)
11. Bim Bam Smash - (5:09)
12. Atonement - (1:30)
13. Extreme Ways - (3:56)
* DVD *
The single DVD can be brought for only Ģ3.99 on Play.com.
Special features-
• Audio commentary from director Paul Greengrass
• Deleted scenes
• 'On The Move With Jason Bourne' featurette
• ...
James McAvoy and Patrick Cumberbatch actually went on to star in Atonement together. Also, the Director, Tom Vaughn and the writer, David Nicholls, actually went to Bristol University together back in the 80's.
DVD Extras:
The DVD we have has some extras on and these are as follows:
Cast and crew interviews - does what it says! Various cast and crew give their thoughts on the film and the actors in it.
Theatrical trailer - this is the trailer for the film as seen in the cinemas
Interactive 80's quiz - this is the best of the three with a little quiz you can play of 10 questions. I'm not sure how many different questions they have loaded overall but they are moslty 80's related with clips from the film shown as you play it as if you are in the University challenge studio. Good fun!
Overall I highly recommend this film as even ...
peteandcesca 26.03.2008 (20.03.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Starter For Ten (DVD)
Advantages: a wonderful movie Disadvantages: no outtakes, things left out
was to write a book for amusement and entertainment. I like the book very much, because it is written in a lovely style and the story is great. Of course they had to leave out some things in the movie, but the main story didnīt change and even the dialogs where the same. When you read it, you feel like you are in the 19th century.
4) The Director
++++++++++++
This was the first real movie for Joe Wright. Before he had only made two short movies and three TV mini series. His new project "Atonement" also starrs Keira Knightley and Matthew McFadyen. The shootings start this month.
5) The DVD content
+++++++++++++++
a) The Politics of Dating
Here some people tell you how hard it was oin the 19th century to get contact with the other sex and that balls had been the only opportunity to touch someone. I think it was really hard ...
Contains very strong language, bloody injuries and moderate sex
Video Category
Feature Film
Country Of Origin
United Kingdom
Plot
On a sultry summer day in 1935, an upper-class British family prepares for a dinner party at their country estate. The participants include Briony Tallis, her older sister Cecilia, Robbie Turner, who carries a torch for Cecilia; and various visitors and family members. A series of misperceptions, fuelled by the summer heat and Briony's childish hurts and fevered imagination, lead to a dramatic false accusation that lands Robbie in jail. We meet all three characters five years later in the thick of World War II, as foot soldier Robbie prepares for the Dunkirk evacuation and the two estranged sisters train as nurses in London.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK; CINRAM LOGISTICS (SWINDON), Universal Pictures UK Video Rental
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Deleted scenes, Commentary by director Joe Wright, Making Of, Deleted scenes
Aspect Ratio
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
Award information
OSCAR
Best Music Original Score (Dramatic/Musical/Comedy) 2008 (Dario Marianelli)
Professional reviews
Review
Gorgeous cinematography, a lilting score and near-faultless performances, under Wright's assured direction, make this the first contender for next year's Best Picture Oscar (Empire, 02/01/2008)
DVD Description
On a sultry summer day in 1935, an upper-class British family prepares for a dinner party at their country estate. The participants include Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan), a precocious preteen writer, her older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley), Cambridge graduate and femme fatale, Robbie Turner (James McEvoy), the housekeeper's virtuous son, who carries a torch for Cecilia, and various visitors and family members. A series of misperceptions, fuelled by the summer heat and Briony's childish hurts and fevered imagination, lead to a dramatic false accusation that lands Robbie in jail. We meet all three characters five years later in the thick of World War II, as foot soldier Robbie prepares for the Dunkirk evacuation and the two estranged sisters train as nurses in London. Director Joe Wright (PRIDE AND PREJUDICE) deserves high praise for translating Ian McEwan's highly internalised, multilayered tale of guilt, redemption, and the power and limits of the artistic imagination, into a sumptuous visual feast that not only conveys the intricate plot points of the novel, but dives headfirst into the emotional subtleties that make the story so wrenching. Whether any of the characters' actions are ultimately atoned for by the end of the film is a matter of perception, but Wright's sympathetic eye ensures that every player gets a fair trial. The young director favours long, lingering close-ups that trace every flicker of feeling--Ronan's luminous blue eyes clouding over with righteous gravity; the tremors of hurt and anger and love in McEvoy's sensitive face; the defiant jut of Knightley's jaw as it melts into tender affection. The honey-drizzled look of the first two thirds of the film contrasts achingly with the tension and seriousness of the action unfolding (and the grim intensity of the wartime sections), and the scenes on the beach at Dunkirk include masterly camera. ATONEMENT is a powerful story, retold in a way that even diehard fans of the book will appreciate.
![Atonement [DVD] [2007]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/77917272.jpg "Atonement [DVD] [2007]")
