Not a very faithful adaptation of the book

Rating: 7/10 (4 February 2008)

Not a very faithful adaptation of the book, and a lot of details were omitted: the history behind the broken vase, more of Robbie Turner (James McAvoy)'s horrible experiences while at war, the gypsy woman and her pig, what happened to Lola and Paul Marshall, why Briony couldn't publish her tell-all novel yet and how she ultimately celebrates her birthday at the old house.
The book was a bit annoying to read as author Ian McEwan did not allow readers to have their own imaginings; he painstakingly dictated each detail and embarrassingly disclosed each character's private thoughts, which of course, is impossible to translate on screen. But the beauty of the novel is the real ending (not the film's version), when it all comes together and explains why the book was written the way it was for the better part of the story.
But the film did justice to the lush backdrops as described in the book, and the characters are well cast. Except perhaps for James McAvoy, who acted superbly but needed to be a bit burlier and taller (Briony was taller than him during the confrontation when he was supposed to be intimidatingly towering over her!). The actresses who played Briony at 13, at 18 and in her 70s all possessed the face and the manner you'd love to hate. Keira Knightley was beautiful and played the role of the haughty, careless but passionate aristocrat Cecilia perfectly. Paul Marshall was supposed to have some disfiguring facial feature that made him even more despicable, and Lola Quincey was supposed to be slenderer and prettier, but Juno Temple's portrayal was eerily exact.
Visually arresting, the accompanying soundtrack and effects were also masterful, but the ending could've used a bit more help.