Attonement Movie Review | The-Reviewer.net

Rated: R

Running Time:130 Minutes

Year: 2007

Boobs: Zero

One Sentence: The leader in Golden Globe nominations for 2007.

It is a rare occurrence that I will see so many movies nominated for Golden Globes in the theater. When I see Sweeny Todd on Tuesday it will be 4 movies in the best of categories, which is a lot for me and I at least want to see two more. My most recent in the group is Atonement. A World War II period piece about a couple and a crime. Here are the nominations for Atonement.

Best Director – Motion Picture Joe Wright

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Dario Marianelli

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
James McAvoy

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Keira Knightley

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Saoirse Ronan

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Christopher Hampton

These nominations are not without warrant. Atonement is a beautiful sweeping story of love and loss and well, atonement. It is solidly acted by all characters and is a beautiful movie. Sets, costumes, acting, shots, speech and plot are all outstanding and put together a movie worthy of so many nominations. The subject matter is powerful, feels real and carries us across World War II and beyond, in a non-linear storyline. Keira and James are very strong and are some of the upper tier of the younger acting generation. 13 year old Saoirse Ronan got a best supporting actress nomination as well.

In the end it was all worth it, however I did feel it was a little long in the middle. I felt the urge to know how long I had been in the movie, and how much longer the movie would be. I also felt like I was almost watching the movie Cold Mountain, except it was WWII instead of the Civil War in some parts. It just felt like it followed a very simple formula that earns award nominations. It is still good don't get me wrong, it just wasn't set apart from so many previous nominees for best picture. So yes, rent it if you liked Cold Mountain, or feel that making up for past wrongs is very important.

4 Stars

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Nicholas Plowman

What a beautiful film. The cinematography was breathtaking. The supporting performances were amazing, better than the leading. I think it was better than Cold Mountain, but there were similarities. It did seem long in the middle, but the end with Vanessa Redgrave made it all worth it! One of the year’s best.
rease

i just got through watching and i loved it. i do agree the middle was a little drawn out but overall what a great movie. definatly well put together and this will become a future disc in my collection
MARTIN S FRIEDLANDER

I AGREE WITH YOUR REVIEW. IN TODAYS MOVIE GENRE, THERE IS NO DIALOGUE, BUT THISMOVIE HAD GREAT DIALOGUE. THE ACTORS COMMUNICATE IN WORDS, NOT SPECIAL EFFECTS. THE CINEPHOTOGRAPHY WAS BREATHTAKING. THE STORY LINE, BEING NON LINEAR, WAS DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW. I FINALLY CUAGHT ON TO THE STORYLINE WHEN VANESSA REDGRAVE CHARACTERIZED ATTONEMENT AS A “NOVEL”, WITH AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICIAL BACKGROUND. THAT MEANT THAT PARTS OF THE FILM WERE FICTION. THE FICTIONALIZED PART OF THE SCRIPT WAS THE HAPPY ENDING. THE ACTUAL ENDING RESULTED IN THE SISTER’S ATTONEMENT FOR HER FANTASIZED ACCOUNT OF THE ALLEGED RAPE. SOMEHOW, I BELIEVED FROM THE GET GO THAT MR. CHOCOLATE MAN WAS THE CULPRIT AS HE SEEMED TO SAVOUR LOLA BITING ON HIS CHOCOLATE BAR THAT HE WAS PLANNING TO SELL TO THE BRITISH ARMY AS ANOTHER WAR TIME PROFITEER.

I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS FILM TO FILMGOERS WHO APPRECIATE THE ART OF CINEMAPHOTOGRAPHY MIXED WITH BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE.

MARTIN S FRIEDLANDER, ESQ.
Ewee

…just saw it. I’m a sucker for a romantic flick but this just didn’t cut it. It was cheesy, even used the same “line” as the great SOMEHWHERE IN TIME “come back to me”. Other than the end, which was wonderfully acted but so depressing, this entire film was a bust for us. It was so mean and violent (yes, war and the rape of a child are considered violence)… and so sad. Best Actress!!!! I think not. Plus she was so sickly skinny! Yuck. It’s been an hour and I’m still depressed.
Johnny Dee

First of all, I think Attonement is a great story. However, if you’re trying to quit smoking or if you’re taking any medication for depression you may wish to skip this movie! A great story and yes, a little bit too long. But oh geez the smoking. Do the producers and directors of this film actually believe this movie would be less of a movie if perhaps 99% of the smoking were eliminated? How much money did the big tobacco companies line your pockets with for the inclusion of so many of the actors to be smoking in this movie? Oh well, when you’re rich, you just don’t give a crap!
hehe

Yeah the smoking has goto stop, otherwise a must see movie..
Daisey

Smoking was the thing to do at that time.
flutter

well I must say I have just watched this film, and although it took me about an huor to get into and even then it was a tad jumpy for me…. It seemed to unravel itself at the end when as an older woman she revealed she had written a confession basically….

LOL!!! Smoking was horrendously fashionable, all the big stars glamourising it only later did we find out how useless and health damaging it actually is..

I liked this film, I am not a prude, but its nice to watch a film with no unneccassary swearing or violence…. It was a nice romance, without being comical

Was a bit too long but a really nice film
intuned2life

I just saw Atonement, and I must say….first I saw Fools Gold……….so, ugh, go and see them both …. Atonement couldn’t hve been more like another fil I’ll NEVER forget … Like Water For Chocolate …………. whew…… … and thank you to the omment by Nicholas Plowman……I’d have never known that was Vanessa Redgrave at the end…. I just thought it was amazing how she always looked the same…and the same beads….what a horrible dysfunctional way to mess UP a lot of people…she am glad I can reflect on Fools Gold….. that was a movie that I’d compare to Captain Ron …. starring Kurt Russell and Martin Short……well, I won’t take up any more space talking about other movies…this is about Atonement….. way, too much smoking…..it hadda be that fake tobacco like they use in drams at college play, and no filters…….ewwwwwwwwwe….. tuff film, no mercy….sorry for the book…. hadda a cup of coffee……. : )& ‘cuse me for any mis-spells!
………………..just some thts… Louise from DE
jj

I’ve never smoked in my life but know it was compulsary to smoke in this era. This was a very atmospheric film, but agree that it was slow in middle.
Nonhlanhla

hi everi1 i’m 4rom south africa & i haven’t watch the movie but read the book. it makes one wonder what happens in the next chapter. would love to see the movie
Venizia

Story, dialogue, sets, cinematography, rich textures, language woven by a fabulous cast and Brilliant Direction. Knightly, McAvoy, and the young Saoirse are magnifico! Show stoppers all… including Miss Redgrave. (I love it that she and Franco are back together again in real life!)
And FGS! Quit preaching about the smoking!! When were you born? Yesterday? Smoking was a common past time in days past. It’s a reality. It’s only the past decade all you judgmental sinnerzzzz got on your big boring bandwagon.
I loved this film all the way through, beginning, middle and end.

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Attonement

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