Righting the wrongs sums up Wright’s direction of Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement. Set in the 1930’s Atonement’s English style storyline is Wright’s forte, as he directs a dramatic love story full of suspense that pulls on the heart strings of all. Winning the 2008 Golden Globe for best drama, Atonement is a gem of a find at the cinema. A twisting plotline is lead by Keira Knightley playing Cecilia and James McAvoy as Robbie Turner, a love struck couple that finds love in their out of sync social classes. Their love is quickly troubled by Cecilia’s younger sister Briony played by Saoirse Ronan and later by Vanessa Redgrave. Director Wright’s devious and methodic use of perspective in direction truly grabs the concepts of the movie and brings them full tilt towards the viewer. Atonement has a familiar Pride and Prejudice essence in music, setting, and casting but is quickly lost in the complex suspenseful storyline that keeps you in your seat reaching for popcorn. Direction gave great detail towards the beautiful summer setting of London England that pulled a novel like essence into the film.
A point of weakness for the movie fell on the older character Briony. Vanessa Redgrave did a poor job holding up her end of the deal when playing nurse Briony the remorseful grown up version of a once fantastic youth. Childish attachment followed by quick hate and guilt gave rise to a persona that was much too difficult for Redgrave. A scene in the movie with all three main armature actors/actresses gave witness to Redgrave’s incompetence as a seemingly actress next to two stars. Redgrave owes thanks to Knightley and McAvoy for pulling her through a tough acting role. Whereas, Knightley’s acting painted the screen with heartfelt emotion. Knightley’s petite body is no measure of her acting as she absorbed the anger and love of ten women, giving a true sense for why she was chosen for the role of Cecilia
The movie ends with the same shocking spine suspenseful anecdotes that it started with, leaving the viewer enthralled. Atonement was able to pull on the heart strings while quivering the spine a feat not many films accomplish. Its speed at delivering the plot line was right in key with the flow of the film and allowed a great number of details to be addressed and fully discovered. Claiming the film to have unforeseen twists is an understatement, in an age where most everything has been done on the screen this one truly finds new meaning in the unexpected. Atonement is a movie worth the time. A true suspense filled classic love story with unimaginable entangles that leave you wondering while walking out of the theatre.
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