Atonement [HD DVD] [2007]

RRP £24.99 Lowest New Price £4.37

Suitable for 15 years and over Universal Pictures UK Release date: Monday 10th of March 2008 Starring: Romola Garai, Keira Knightley, Vanessa Redgrave, Saoirse Ronan, James McAvoy, Director(s): Format: PAL, Region code: 2 Running time: 118 minutes Language: English (Original Language)

RRP: £24.99
Solid 4 stars for me....
Review date: 2008-09-08 Rating: 8 out of 10

I think you have to look past the hype and see the film for itself. In that regard, James MacAvoy was as usual superb, and brought his character (Robbie) to life. Saoirse Ronan as the young(est) version of Briony, showed us all of the intensity of a 13-year-old on the cusp of adolescence. Her motivation is clear - she has strong feelings for Robbie, feelings which she cannot express, does not know how to express, but somehow must do; and then she catches her sister and Robbie together, intimately, and it is the resulting bottled-up rage that destroys all three of them.

And what of Keira Knightely? I thought she was convincing. In the first part of the film her dialog is mainly cliches, but that would have been the way her character would have lived: moneyed, privileged, and probably over-educated for the life she will lead. She, too, must express feelings, and she too does not have words, but her actions on that hot afternoon are clear enough. It is Robbie who finds words, shocking words, and it is their revelation that triggers the crisis.

Finally, what of the title? Has Briony 'atoned'? I don't think she did.... people's lives were destroyed and broken, people died because of her action. Writing a book about the events 60 years later, and giving it half-a-happy ending is not atoning; and in Vanessa Redgrave's performance as the eldest Briony giving her apologia, we can see the understanding that nothing can atone for what was done.