A Contemporary twist film that uses romance as its drive before hitting us with the tragedy.

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2008)

Such a film like Atonement is one that sneaks up on you; it builds and builds seemingly going nowhere or not doing anything to suggest anything fantastic before hitting you with a contemporary twist. It's a film that makes you think; thus already elevating itself above a certain level of quality, there have been films that have used this little tactic in recent years that have spawned both great hate and admiration; films like: The Usual Suspects, Fight Club and even The Village. The films hit you with a series of scenes that although seem disjointed and random, all make sense when the apparent 'twist' makes itself known.
After the film had ended; it got me thinking, which is a good sign. 'What does Atonement actually mean?' I thought to myself and that's when the penny dropped. Such audacity to have a major clue in the films title hinting at the possible results that will happen following the events that occur in the film's first plot point. If that sounds complicated then good, because clever films are complicated. Following Atonement's finale, I think two thirds of what I was going to say about the film were rendered either incorrect or useless; such is its nature that it relies on twisty, bendy and fate driven incidences to get across both its story and tragedy. I was sceptical for the best part of this film, noticing a lot of frustrations and rather a few incidences of inconsistency.
Firstly, I did not buy how Briony (played by three different actresses) put two and two together regarding the incident at the fountain and how she would perceive it to be anything sexual; secondly, I find it amazing how even in the 1930s it would seem a thirteen year old girl would be able to identify the "worst word of them all." Granted, the third occurrence of a sexual nature that happens in the library Briony observes is the most blatant but I feel if she'd spied them kissing previously or whatever instead of the incident at the fountain that had nothing to do with anything sexual, it would've made for a better build up. To sum up; I fail to see how a thirteen year old girl can honestly 'see' sexual discrimination between two people who are standing at a fountain talking; before one of them has to take their top off so that they can get into the fountain to retrieve something. But these events lead to the bigger picture because when she finds them in the library, things really screw up her psyche.
This is where the film's reoccurring theme of luck/chance comes in; if their hadn't been a wasp in the room, Briony wouldn't have gone to the window; if Robbie (McAvoy) hadn't sent the wrong note like he so stupidly does, everything would've been fine; if Robbie and Cecilia (Knightley) had spoken to Briony after she caught them in the library perhaps explaining what was happening and how everything would be alright, Briony wouldn't have felt as bad as she did. Little inconsistencies like this do bug me in films where the logical thing to do is substituted for sake of a story. But the initial incident also has a lot of inconsistencies; such as the fact Briony sees another example of love and/or sexual relations in the form of forced said events; in such quick proximity to one another in a certain time frame. The attacker is also stupid enough to recognise the witness that is Briony and run off without confronting her. I remember feeling that the attacker must not have known Briony otherwise they would've hung around to explain their actions  turned out they did know Briony but ran off anyway  how could they assume she didn't see their face?
Following said events, Robbie finds himself in France just before the Nazi invasion and the event that was the Dunkirk evacuation which is brilliantly captured in one, long take. Running parallel with this is Briony's life as a nurse in London, treating the injured. Here, I wondered why we were following Briony and this where the film makes you think it's flailing and flailing but really it's playing you because it's doing everything right. True, Briony would have no idea what's happening to Robbie in France but we are shown it anyway; instead, Cecilia is ignored only until she is visited by Briony  an event that I was tearing my hair out over when questioning the character's sanity and ability to let it all go: Robbie gives her an earful because of her action. But where I thought Atonement was going through the numbers of trying to make its apparent hero make up for past mistakes; suffer an epiphany; yadder, yadder yadder.........but no, it was playing me.
It may sound like I am bashing Atonement but it does the business in the end. Getting there is a little messy but the story is very smart with a real feeling of: 'what if said event hadn't happened' and the closing montage of the fates of people is stirring because you don't see it coming; you have been led to believe one thing and then had what you thought turned on its head. There is enough authenticity and beauty to be had in the photography and costume with an air of tragedy and regret flowing throughout as the film switches perspectives in a confusing but rewarding manner.