The Best Film of 2007

Rating: 10/10 (12 January 2008)

As Atonement opens with stunning images of the tranquil English countryside where everything is a picture of perfection and everyone appears content; you cannot help but feel the atmospheric foreboding as nothing perfect lasts forever in this tarnished world. Based on the bestselling novel by Ian McEwan, it is an unforgettable, beautifully haunting love story that slowly slips into a devastating flood of such raw, overwhelming tragedy that you can feel the emotional journey of the characters; and its' thought-provoking themes of forgiveness, atoning, betrayal, and love stay with you for days afterwards.
When Briony Tallis (played three different ages by by Saoirse Ronan, Romola Garai, and Vanessa Redgrave) misinterprets an encounter between Robbie Turner (played by James McAvoy) and her sister Cecillia Tallis (played Keira Knightley), she tells a lie that carries such shocking consequences that it completely ruins their lives. Briony spends the rest of her life seeking forgiveness for her appalling act. The story is told against the backdrop of WWII from the three points of view, along with beautifully rendered and perfectly timed flashbacks and forwards.
Director Joe Wright does a splendid job contrasting the two worlds. The beginning is filled with whimsical, pastel colors of the exquisite English Countryside drenched in glowing sunshine where everything has the sense of a timeless perfection; only to be followed by the dark, ominous, gritty images of a war torn France.
The acting from the entire cast is top-notch. James McAvoy gives a strong emotion-filled performance of great depth; Keira Knightley effortless glides into her role as the high-class daughter, and as only she can do, speaks each line with such eloquence that it is a treat to just listen. Saoirse Ronan is truly one of the best child actresses of late as she acts with such a profound maturity and intensity; and Vanessa Redgrave is so perfect in her small role as Briony in her older years that she still manages to make an impression and is able to convey such emotion solely through her expressions.
Every level of production is so perfect, it is an absolute triumph. Notably the cinematography which was dazzling, containing one of the most epic and complex single-take in movie history (yes it even toped Children of Men); as well as Dario Marianelli's magnificent, sweeping score filled with an original theme of simple yet exquisite beauty. Atonement truly is the best film of 2007.