Atonement

Atonement is wonderfully suited for broadcast on TV channels that feature love stories. That tragic romance of unfulfilled love, fateful encounters, desire, passion, misunderstandings, sacrifices, hope, and disappointments. The producer spared no expense, and the director tried to make it a sublime visual feast with an artistic touch. But there's a catch. Atonement doesn't work for me. It's overly ambitious, and emotionally missed the mark with me. The acclaimed long shots rather bore me, and I can only appreciate the well-crafted beach scene at Dankers, where the surrounded defeated army tries to forget about the future. When looking at Keira Knightley's emaciated figure, I realized that she resembles more of a medical diagnosis than an actress. This time, I'll take the dissident position in my review... Overall impression: 45%. (21/03/2013)

To be quite sincere, I’ve never liked this type of movie much, but this time I’m glad that I decided to make an exception and watch this one. Atonement is a wartime drama that has much more inside it than it seems at first glance. And the standard of the acting performances and directing make it impossible for me to give it anything less than a full set of stars. (29/02/2008)

Oddly enough, I find Atonement a bit more interesting plot-wise than Pride and Prejudice. The costumes and atmosphere generally suit me. I like the appropriate seriousness of the situation. Overall, I feel like the film means something and carries an idea. The cast is good, although Keira doesn't stand out as much as I think she should. But yes, a well-made film that I'll happily watch a few more times. 4 stars. (30/07/2011)

The king for the second time and completely differently. It would be too easy and an excuse to compare it to verbose Pride and Prejudice. Atonement, on the other hand, takes a completely different approach, with the only common aspect. Both films are so personal to me that they grow with every subsequent screening. And so, even though Wright the director and visual perfectionist occasionally surpasses Wright the storyteller, the criticisms disappear precisely because the audiovisual aspect surpasses the majority of what I have seen in life in grand or conversely intimate scenes. Just Atonement, whose literary source is one grand intimate psychological study, is not a piece of cake for adaptation. Master Joe is absolutely unique among contemporary creators in one aspect. He can guide actors to such an extent that they completely merge with their characters and from the screen, desire, love, hidden emotions, and helplessness scream. And I feel how they scream right at me, and so loudly - and I understand them. At this moment, it seems to me that some atonements will be made forever. Happiness is sometimes terribly far away. (14/03/2008)

Romantic films are certainly not the kind I look for, but I have nothing about having an occasional look at genres that are not my favourite and today I decided to watch the best rated romance of 2007, Atonement. The result is that for most of the runtime I was bored and frustrated, hoping for the end. The direction is brilliant, the film has lots of gorgeous visuals, but it didn’t have much of an effect on me. But then the story jumps to the present and the end shattered me. The tempers suddenly flare and I have to say that I don’t regret putting on this film. 70% (24/08/2008)