To Successfully Have A Cake And Eat It Too

Rating: 9/10 (23 February 2008)

Judging by the trailer for Atonement, as well as its reviews, I had this film pegged as one of those stuffy British period pieces in the Merchant/Ivory vein. Those films don't usually get awards coverage, but this one had something to do with World War II, and as we all know, awards people love World War II. Upon finally seeing the film, I was greatly surprised, not only is it captivating, but it has all sorts of narrative tricks up it's sleeve to keep the proceedings moving.
The movie begins on a bourgeois estate in England. On it live the sisters, Briony (Saoirse Ronan) and Cecilia (Keira Knightley). Robbie works on the farm as a hired hand. He does the work while the owner of the estate pays for his education. Between Cecilia and Robbie, there is a romance occurring unbeknownst to the other residents of the estate. When Briony sees something occur between them outside the window, she assumes that something occurred which did not.
This section of the film carries within it a lot of tension. Director Joe Wright fleshes out characters efficiently and makes us feel for Robbie when the police take him away. There are two events in particular that are shown separately from the perspectives of the different characters involved. Instead of crosscutting as most directors would, Wright shows these scenes one after another, building the level of suspense in each of them.
When certain further events occur, it leads to Briony to tell a lie which results in Robbie being sent to prison. The second portion of the film follows Robbie in France as he attempts to cross the English Isle to get back to Cecilia. He is given a choice between serving in France or serving his prison sentence. Upon reaching the coast of France, there is a magnificent long take which follows Robbie walk along the beach before focusing on the chaos of the moment and returning to Robbie. It lasts a few minutes and is destined to be remembered for years to come.
One thing I noticed about this film is that most of the reviews I have read seem to snub the involvement of Joe Wright as the Director. This is most recently seen in the Oscar nominations, Atonement was nominated for Best Picture, but Wright was not nominated for Best Director. What happens in this act of the film is very director driven, as are certain decisions in the first and third acts of the film regarding how the narrative develops. I was not expecting this level of maturity and style going into the film, considering Wright's only other film was the Keira Knightley version of Pride and Prejudice that I never saw (srsly, I have to read Jane Austen's Persuasion in English this year and I am not looking forward to it). If anything, this film owes more of a debt to its director than the script or any of the actors, all of which are fine, but would have failed with with a less sure hand at the helm.
The third act of the film follows Briony (now played by Romola Garai), as she faces her guilt and realizes that she was wrong. The film follows her as she tries to right about her experience and she tries to contact her sister, who estranged herself from the family after Robbie was arrested. Following this, Vanessa Redgrave makes a heartbreaking cameo as the elderly Briony, now a celebrated author.
This portion of the film also features a narrative format that is unconventional. I would be guilty of spoiling the surprise if I told you what it was now. For now, all I will say is that the film manages to have its cake, and then proceed to eat it as well. I would never have thought that an ending like this would work, but somehow, it does. I highly recommend this movie, even for people with penises. It is much better than the coverage would let you know.