Effective Quality Drama

Rating: 8/10 (6 January 2010)

Joe Wright has presented a film that would sit comfortably in the Merchant and Ivory stable. It looks great on the screen, the actors accents could cut through fridge cold butter and the class system rules, OK ! I'm not a great fan of Keira Knightley but she is perfect in the role of the simpering Cecilia. Her upper class angst is well played out against the rogueish imp that is the role of Robbie, who is the working class lad made good, played by James McAvoy. His flawed conviction heats up the viewers satisfaction when Robbie and Cecilia are finally reunited only to find that a further ride is required on the emotional roller-coaster as an elderly Briony, Cecilia's younger sister, imparts the lie of the tale in the final pay off. I almost weeped myself. There are few faults with this film although the time switch and mix between reality and imagination in certain scenes is slightly disconcerting. This is especially so in the first scene of this kind where Briony watches Cecilia and Robbie having some very unacceptable behaviour by a fountain, which when replayed proves to be a different view on reality and sets the tone for Robbie's later fate. The mix between reality and dreams is basically the theme of the film. Briony's imaginings of her life with Robbie which leads to her spiteful slight on his character, which in turn leads to his imprisonment and through a chain of events, finally to a sad death in Dunkirk. Likewise the fate that befell Cecilia who, having obviously turned her back on a family who betrayed Robbie, probably would have continued to live a fairly steady existence in the country, finds herself the victim of an air raid. Even Briony doesn't escape. Although the novel, which is the inter film source for the actual film, acts as a final confessional before she leaves the mortal coil. Her death is nigh and also unpleasant in the form of dementia. Recommended for those who are prepared to stick with a film and watch it slowly unwind itself at its own pace. 8/10.