A powerful, complicated, wonderful movie

Rating: 9/10 (27 October 2007)

This is a movie where coming in late (like the couple behind me tonight) will lead you to be utterly mystified. The movie unfolds and envelopes you with a complex plot with a sudden shift at the end. If you've read the book, you know what happens; nonetheless, the movie is worth seeing if only for its absolutely pitch-perfect depiction of the characters, environments, and situations. (Actually, I gained an insight into the book by watching the movie, which for me is extremely rare.) I don't give tens - a movie would have to basically be the Second Coming for that to happen - so this 9 is about as good as it gets.
By the way, the version I saw here in the UAE was bowdlerized; if you're looking for that crucial scene that was snipped, search YouTube for "Atonement" and "GQ."