Very worthy of its praise.

Rating: 8/10 (6 February 2008)

Even if I wanted to spoil the plot of "Atonement" I couldn't. It's very similar to "Perfect Blue" in that regard. However, the plot itself is very complicated. We are presented with events from a third person's perspective then we view them from the participant's perspective. This gives the film the same mystic appeal that Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being had. We are able to know Briony, Robbie, and Cecelia so much better because of this. The only area with regards to the plot that I found the film did not portray was Briony's crush on Robbie (I read a summary of the book). Even though, as an adult, Briony does reveal that she had a crush on Robbie, this is not evident when she was a child (other than the flashback). However, where this film succeeds is that it portrays all of its characters tragically while still allowing us to know them.
The acting was also memorable in the film. Kiera Knightly acted very dignified and responsive to her surroundings. It must be because Wright asked her to watch films that were released during the era the film portrays. Kiera is becoming my favorite actress after Helena Bonham Carter. What was also evident even from the other actors was the humanly way they acted. Nothing they did could be perceived as unnatural. Seeing Briony read in the forested area was like seeing footage from a home movie because of how natural it looked. If you recall from my "Lady in the Water" review, I mentioned how unrealistic the film was (even by fantasy standards). Those actors conformed to stereotypes and expectations, but these actors did not. Also, James McAvoy actually looked as if he wanted to have sex with Kiera Knightly's character during the library scene. I must also say that the costume designer did a good job in dressing the three actresses that played Briony throughout her life. Each of them had the mole on her face, and I could imagine that each of them was Briony. However, when Briony was in her 20s, the film didn't do a good job of portraying Cecilia's character as having aged. She looked exactly the same as she did as she did in the manor. However, I don't fault the film much for that mistake. It didn't affect the plot too much.
While this film isn't the most impacting that I've seen this year, I would heartily recommend seeing it. It is a realistic portrayal of someone attempting to sympathize with the crime she committed in her life. The acting is good enough to convince you that the character's struggle is worthy of your attention. It isn't a film that I would necessarily own, but I have enough respect for it to read the book (which I'm doing now).