A poignant and moving tale

Rating: 9/10 (16 January 2011)

What a film! Entirely unpredictable - and utterly compelling - ATONEMENT is a breath of fresh air amid the countless stale remakes, sequels and juvenile comedies that have been filling our multiplexes as of late.
I haven't read McEwan's book, but from the trailers to this film I expected a romance. I got it, but also a lot more besides. It's as if a traditional romantic movie has been injected with a massive dose of realism to bring it into the real world, with not always happy results.
One or two plot contrivances aside, I was compelled by every minute of this production. I also saw two actors, McAvoy and Knightley, give fine, subtle performances that I hadn't witnessed in either of them before. Especially Knightley, who I usually see playing simpering characters in the likes of those pirate films.
Joe Wright - who also directed Knightley in the 2005 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE adaptation - does a brilliant job of getting the tone and mood just right. His five-minute tracking shot of the Dunkirk beaches is breathtaking and on par with those seen recently in CHILDREN OF MEN and WARRIOR KING.
Kudos too for the inclusion of some unreliable narration in the latter stages, something films usually avoid in fear of alienating viewers. It works perfectly here.