One of the best productions in recent years

Rating: 9/10 (19 February 2008)

Should I have read the book before seeing this movie? Not necessarily of course but in the case of "Atonement" it was certainly an advantage as I asked myself how the richness of the vocabulary, the suggestive delicacy of the verbally painted pictures and the intricate pattern of the relationships between the various characters would be rendered on the screen. The answer to these intriguing questions is not difficult at all: the cinematographic version has come as close to the original literary work as one can possibly get. The author, Ian McEwan, always excels in depicting life as it was in England in the early 20th century with its restraining formalism, hypocrisy and a numbing form of awkwardness that often lead to a lasting form of tragedy. All these elements are constantly present throughout the movie and together with the excellent acting, the captivating images of landscapes and the camera's keen eye for detail, one cannot but acclaim "Atonement" as one of the best productions in recent years.