Post by Return of the Thin Olive Duke on Sept 24, 2016 10:45:26 GMT -5
Atonement
Dir. Joe Wright
Premiered December 7, 2007
In his year-end retrospective, NPR film critic Bob Mondello wrote “In 2007, ‘Top 10’ Doesn’t Do Justice.” And while I may be ever-so-slightly biased (though hardly alone) in calling it the best movie year ever, Mondello’s claim cannot be denied. How many times did critics hint at Oscar Buzz that year for films that were never nominated? How many times in this series have I written “in any other year, this would be the best movie?” In that context, it’s kind of amazing that Atonement was able to transcend the year and receive as much praise as it did.
In many ways, Atonement represents the platonic ideal of a movie that got a huge amount of critical press and awards nominations (which it did), but has largely been forgotten (which I think it has, but can’t be sure). A British period melodrama, based on a recent popular novel, revisiting some fairly well-trod ground (notably similar to Waterloo Bridge), and just stylistically unique enough to avoid being pigeonholed as another Merchant-Ivory clone.
In 1935, well-born adolescent aspiring writer Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) pines for the much older Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), the son of the family housekeeper who, thanks to the Tallis family, has become the beneficiary of a college education. However, Robbie has begun to fall for Briony’s older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley), and the two rapidly enter a physical relationship. When Robbie entrusts Briony with a letter confessing his lust for Cecilia, Briony reads it and concludes that he is a dangerous “sex maniac,” in the words of visiting cousin Lola (Juno Temple). Before dinner, Briony catches Robbie and Ceilia having sex in the library and assumes foul play. Later, Briony finds an unidentified man raping Lola and assumes it’s Robbie, who’s arrested and eventually convicted.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, Robbie joins the Army to get out of prison; though, as a felon, his hopes of becoming an officer, and escaping his commoner status, are dashed. Robbie partakes in the defense of France, but the British are quickly driven back to the famous evacuation at Dunkirk. Meanwhile, both Briony (Romola Garai) and Cecilia have become nurses. Cecilia has continued to stand by Robbie and plans to rejoin him after the war, but Briony’s newfound maturity and severe guilt over Robbie’s false conviction has become too much to bear.
Aside from a keen directorial style that emphasizes the act of writing– or rather typing– Atonement is a fairly recognizable if well-executed film. It begins in an interbellum stately house where there are lots of goings on, class divisions abound, and something goes horribly wrong, and it’s not entirely clear what has happened until the very end; a setup very reminiscent of 2001’s far superior Gosford Park. None of the settings or situations really get their due, but it is a good-looking and emotionally challenging film. The only problem is that, if “top ten” doesn’t do justice to 2007, then Atonement doesn’t do justice to “top ten.”
Additional Notes
Although I was surprised to learn that Saoirse Ronan was only 13 at the time, I was not convinced of the need to change actresses to cover the five-year time jump in the midst of the film. Ronan is terrific, but they probably should’ve gone with someone a little older who could pull off both ages, as the difference in appearance between her and Romola Garai is jarring.
Next Time: The Golden Compass
Dir. Joe Wright
Premiered December 7, 2007
In his year-end retrospective, NPR film critic Bob Mondello wrote “In 2007, ‘Top 10’ Doesn’t Do Justice.” And while I may be ever-so-slightly biased (though hardly alone) in calling it the best movie year ever, Mondello’s claim cannot be denied. How many times did critics hint at Oscar Buzz that year for films that were never nominated? How many times in this series have I written “in any other year, this would be the best movie?” In that context, it’s kind of amazing that Atonement was able to transcend the year and receive as much praise as it did.
In many ways, Atonement represents the platonic ideal of a movie that got a huge amount of critical press and awards nominations (which it did), but has largely been forgotten (which I think it has, but can’t be sure). A British period melodrama, based on a recent popular novel, revisiting some fairly well-trod ground (notably similar to Waterloo Bridge), and just stylistically unique enough to avoid being pigeonholed as another Merchant-Ivory clone.
In 1935, well-born adolescent aspiring writer Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) pines for the much older Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), the son of the family housekeeper who, thanks to the Tallis family, has become the beneficiary of a college education. However, Robbie has begun to fall for Briony’s older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley), and the two rapidly enter a physical relationship. When Robbie entrusts Briony with a letter confessing his lust for Cecilia, Briony reads it and concludes that he is a dangerous “sex maniac,” in the words of visiting cousin Lola (Juno Temple). Before dinner, Briony catches Robbie and Ceilia having sex in the library and assumes foul play. Later, Briony finds an unidentified man raping Lola and assumes it’s Robbie, who’s arrested and eventually convicted.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, Robbie joins the Army to get out of prison; though, as a felon, his hopes of becoming an officer, and escaping his commoner status, are dashed. Robbie partakes in the defense of France, but the British are quickly driven back to the famous evacuation at Dunkirk. Meanwhile, both Briony (Romola Garai) and Cecilia have become nurses. Cecilia has continued to stand by Robbie and plans to rejoin him after the war, but Briony’s newfound maturity and severe guilt over Robbie’s false conviction has become too much to bear.
Aside from a keen directorial style that emphasizes the act of writing– or rather typing– Atonement is a fairly recognizable if well-executed film. It begins in an interbellum stately house where there are lots of goings on, class divisions abound, and something goes horribly wrong, and it’s not entirely clear what has happened until the very end; a setup very reminiscent of 2001’s far superior Gosford Park. None of the settings or situations really get their due, but it is a good-looking and emotionally challenging film. The only problem is that, if “top ten” doesn’t do justice to 2007, then Atonement doesn’t do justice to “top ten.”
Additional Notes
Although I was surprised to learn that Saoirse Ronan was only 13 at the time, I was not convinced of the need to change actresses to cover the five-year time jump in the midst of the film. Ronan is terrific, but they probably should’ve gone with someone a little older who could pull off both ages, as the difference in appearance between her and Romola Garai is jarring.
Next Time: The Golden Compass
