Clarification at last

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 2008)

"Atonement" (2007): With hesitations: I need to see this one a second time. It may go up or down in my categories. There's no doubt the acting, lighting, and photography were great. The 1930's story has too much of what I've long been weary  Constipated English Gentry. There is a glossy, invisible division between the viewer and the characters, making them seem less real. The story jumps around and often morphs, which I didn't mind, but doubted its usefulness until the last 15 minutes, when it was finally clarified. It didn't take long to understand the idea of "atonement", but I WAS caught by surprise as to how it was all happening. This was interesting to me, and finally removed the "glossiness" with which I had trouble.