Probably the best movie ever

Rating: 10/10 (11 January 2008)

The title may sound a bit pretentious or exaggerating but I can say a definite 'yes' when I'm asked if "Atonement" was a good movie. It was a phenomenal one.
When I first read the book, I thought that it is impossible to convert the idea of the book into a film. In my opinion, there are certain books that are hard or impossible to adapt into a screenplay but I must say that Joe Wright has managed to do that in a very elegant matter.
Elegant is probably the best word to describe this movie. There is a kind of soft flow to the movie; it isn't too fast nor is it boringly slow. It is the tempo I have seen before with "Virgin Suicides" and it is the perfect tempo for "Atonement" as well.
This is the first movie where Keira Knightley (Cecilia Tallis) comes out of her usual role as a young beautiful girl who just "is" and becomes a young woman whose depiction of the character is brilliant. We see for the first time that Ms. Knightley is not just a pretty face but she has the potential of becoming a great drama actress.
James McAvoy (Robbie Turner) is of course charming as all the ladies will agree but he also goes deep into the character of Robbie Turner. He conveys Robbie's pain and anguish as if they were his own and makes us all believe that his love for Keira/Cecilia is real.
Saoirse Ronan is plausible as a the young Briony Tallis and Romola Garai's plea for forgiveness makes us want to forgive her but does not let us forget that her guilt runs deep. In my eyes, Vanessa Redgrave's portrayal as an old and weakening Briony is better than that of Ms. Ronan or Ms. Garai. Mrs. Redgrave knows what to say when and what emotions to reveal on her face. Briony's final act is what brings tears in my eyes.
Being an avid moviegoer, I must admit that "Atonement" is the first movie over years that has managed to maintain the essence of the book but still stays unique and is not simply an adaption. And I think it doesn't hurt to say once more that "Atonement" deserves an Oscar.