Absolutely Stunning

Rating: 8/10 (30 December 2007)

I have been waiting to see this movie for a very long time and today I finally got to see it. I had been trying not to get too excited in case it didn't live up to my expectations, but I needn't have worried. The movie absolutely blew me away.
First off, it was filmed beautifully. Joe Wright really has a talent for using the natural surroundings to his advantage, I also loved that in Pride and Prejudice. The now-famous Dunkirk scene was just stunning. I was really excited to see that after all I had heard and it was just amazing. Wright really captured the anti-glory of the war when WWI is often characterized by the initial euphoria of all parties involved that war had come, then the steep disillusionment that followed. I was so glad that he did the shot as one long continuous take, it was excellent.
Now, the performances. Starting with the most attention-getting, Keira Knightley did a fabulous job as Cecilia. I've read the novel and I felt that she really embodied the character. Saoirse Ronan was the most perfect young Briony. She's gotten a lot of attention as well and she fully deserves it, she was fantastic as the self-centered, ignorant, spoiled little rich girl. I felt, however, that the movie truly belonged to James McAvoy. He was so heartrending and incredible as Robbie. True, he and Keira Knightley didn't have a ton of crackling chemistry, but his earnestness and her eagerness make you really believe and feel for them.
The writers did a great job adapting Ian McEwan's sprawling novel, and they did an excellent job showing the introspectiveness that the novel conveys. Of course it's hard to get so deeply inside of each character's head the way the novel does, but the movie does an excellent job without feeling rushed or choppy. As with Pride and Prejudice, they clipped the unnecessary but kept the heart of the story.
All in all, it was an excellent, amazing movie, my definite favorite of the year and very worth seeing.