England, 1935. A hot sultry day in the huge Victorian gothic mansion of the relatively wealthy and privileged Tallis. Briony the younger sister in the family has a talent for writing. But for some unfortunate reason her talent doesn’t just stop there. She is also gifted with a rather vivid imaginative mind. A keen observer that sees the world through intense scrutiny every passing moment. She notices Robbie — the house-keepers sons undying consumed and amorous love for her older sister Cecilia and is perhaps insecure and grudgingly resentful and desirous or even a little remorse of what she cannot have.
A family gathering on such a stiflingly sweltering evening sets afoot a little uncalled tragedy and Briony takes upon herself to condone Robbie — her elder sisters beau which eventually ruins not only just Cecilia’s life but the entire Tallis family one by one including her own and a lifetime of morbid guilt to carry through.
I can’t possibly write anymore and spoil your movie experience. We saw Atonement last night and to say the least — we’re blown away by the depth of this film, the cinematography and the casts performance: Saoirse Ronan, James McAvoy, Keira Knightley and others. Another brilliant piece of work from Joe Wright the director of Becoming Jane.
Robbie fought through his life every possible way hoping to be with Cecilia one day soon when his undeserved penance was done but life wasn’t a bed of roses for him in the least. His last found letter to his beloved defies time in as-much his ceaseless adoration for his amour:
Dearest Cecilia,
The story can resume. The one I had been planning on that evening walk. I can become again the man who once crossed the sunny park at dusk in my best suit, swaggering on the promise of life. The man, who with the clarity of passion, made love to you in the library.
The story can resume.
I will return
Find you. Love you
Marry you and
Live without shame— Robbie
Novel: Atonement
Film: Atonement
Author: Ian McEwan
Atonement is such a beautiful film - I would definitely recommend to watch over the festive season.
Now must find the book to read! Maybe Santa will bring it for me??!
I couldn’t agree more. We loved the movie too. I haven’t watched “Pride and Prejudice” but that was the best I’ve seen Keira in. Saoirse was totally eerie and suited the mysterious character well. However, it was James’s sensitive portrayal that won me over, lightening up the screen with charisma and plenty of sexual tension with Keira. Definitely a must see.
Ian McEwan has won plenty of awards with his writing but I usually find him a little elusive. I haven’t read this, am tempted, but wonder if it may leave me a little cold, like how he has apparently written the character of Cecilia with little that I had read … colder than how Keira had portrayed.
Hey! Thanks for the article. I will definitely try to see this movie. Till then, watch all good movies for us
Ultimately disappointing, I thought. Started so well and then drifted off into a love story in war time, albeit with lots of interesting and original insights and aspects of war. But ‘atonement’ seemed to be just tacked on. Lots of effort put into the love story, a blank on how the young girl grew into a young woman with the knowledge and guilt of what she’d done, a few sequences of her as a nurse cum writer with some totally unconvincing scenes about her trying to atone which turn out to be invention, then a short speech at the end of the 2 hours by Vanessa Redgrave on how she’d ‘atoned’. I’m going to read the book.
I read the book and also saw the movie. They are heartbreaking. I seldom found any story more heartbreaking than it. But I like it. It is the way life is. Sometimes, while we are just swaggering on the promise of life, the disaster came. That is the way tragedy is. Love is desirable, but in reality, we have to be content with so much less.