A Fascinating Romance backed by solid performances

Rating: 9/10 (19 June 2015)

Atonement is awesome. It is a romance movie but the film dwells on a lot of other subjects such as regret, forgiveness, and hatred. James McAvoy plays Robbie who is falsely implicated by 13 year old Briony played by Saoirse Ronan who gives an Oscar-worthy performance. The casting is wonderfully done and the editing seamlessly fuses three separate generations together. Ultimately, Briony realizes her fault and is unable to make amends as Robbie and Cecilia are unwilling to forgive her. The visuals are realistic and the attention to detail is palpable. There is a brilliant scene in which Briony comes to Robbie and Cecilia's home to apologize for her mistake and James McAvoy gives a verbal thrashing letting out all the anger built up over the years. It is a stunning performance and is incredibly acted by everyone involved in this scene. As the movie is just a little over two hours, the movie flies by without leaving the feeling that any scene is dragging on needlessly. Atonement is definitely one of the best movies of 2007 and deserves to be seen by a wide audience.