One of the best films in the past decade, hands down

Rating: 9/10 (7 December 2007)

Atonement has everything: Drama, romance, stunning visuals, tragedy, compelling storyline...it's all here.
Acting: Everyone was on top of their game, but the real scene stealer here is James McAvoy. He deserves every ounce of praise he will inevitably receive for this performance...no kidding. Keira Knightley pulls off a riveting performance, but nothing as eye popping as McAvoy.
Story: It simply has to be experienced to be understood. You won't know the whole story or feel the full impact until the credits roll, it's that solid.
Visuals: More proof that you can have a deep story AND lush, rich visuals, not to mention some truly stellar cinematography. There's one really long shot in particular that is just overwhelmingly beautiful but incredibly tragic at the same time.
The more I think about this movie, the more I love it. I will definitely be seeing this again. Atonement is a serious contender for every Best Picture award out there, and rightfully so. The only NEGATIVE things I have to say about it is that the music is a little too much in a couple of spots, it drags a little in one particular spot, and they make a time jump a little too quickly so it's a bit jarring, but those problems are nit picks and hardly worth mentioning.
This could very well be another movie where it's okay for men to cry too.