Atonement

By Nathan Young

Any film that is nominated for seven Academy Awards is bound to be brilliant in some way. 'Atonement' certainly fits the bill.

It is an epic story with tragic undertones, but also a beautiful one to watch. It is certainly worthy of all the Oscar nods and a 'thumbs up'.

Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) is a well-educated son of a maidservant working for a wealthy family in World War II era England. He has secret feelings for Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley), the eldest daughter of the house. Robbie writes an explicit letter to Cecilia to tell her of his feelings but foolishly gives the letter to her younger sister Briony for delivery (Best Supporting Actress nominee Saoirse Ronan).

Predictably, Briony reads it first and develops the idea that Robbie is a sex starved predator. After interrupting the couple's first romantic encounter, Briony mistakenly thinks it proves he is a monster. A series of events unfold that cause Briony to accuse Robbie of a heinous crime.

Robbie is forced to go to prison, but is given a chance to fight for the British army in place of the remainder of his sentence. He takes the opportunity and goes away to fight. The film then shifts to the different lives the three main characters are living during the war, leading to a shocking and depressing conclusion.

There is not enough space to cover all of the great things about this film. Director Joe Wright and cinemtographer Seamus McGarvey create a vivid visual experience that starts out light and dreamy and fades to a dull gray. The lighting and costume choices are all well done. Christopher Hampton's adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel is tight and void of drudgery, plus the characters are easy to invest in.

The performances of the three main actors are all good. Knightley and McAvoy have good chemistry together. Whether their characters are together or apart, the bond Robbie and Cecilia share is evident. Knightley continues to show why she is one of the most sought after actresses working today. McAvoy sets himself up to be a major film star, especially with the upcoming 'Wanted' (co-starring Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie) to be released later this year.

The 13-year-old Ronan is wonderful in her brief appearance. Just a 12-year-old during filming, she brings a mixture of jealousy and ignorance to Briony. Ronan is chilling in the scene where Briony watches Robbie from an upstairs window as he is being escorted to jail . Romola Garai plays the grown up Briony and screen legend Vanessa Redgrave takes over the role at the end of the film. Brenda Blethyn, one of the finest British actresses ever, is also noteworthy in a secondary role as Robbie's mother.

This film is well done cinematically. It is an epic romance but certainly does not lack punch. While the ending is both shocking and depressing, the rest of the film more than makes up for it. I recommend it to movie fans who want to see a sure winner at Oscar time.