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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Universal Studios
Salesrank: 3108
Released: March 18, 2008 |
| Our Price: $4.75 |
| Used Price: $1.50 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
From the award-winning director of Pride and Prejudice comes a stunning, critically acclaimed epic story of love. When a young girl catches her sister in a passionate embrace with a childhood friend, her jealousy drives her to tell a lie that will irrevocably change the course of all their lives forever. Academy Award® nominee Keira Knightley and James McAvoy lead an all-star cast in the film critics are hailing "the year's best picture" (Thelma Adams, US Weekly).
Description of Atonement (Widescreen Edition):
Director Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice) gives Ian McEwan’s bestselling novel a sumptuous treatment for the screen that should come to be regarded as one of the defining films of the epic romantic drama. Indeed, everything about this film stems from those three words: there is little here that is not epic, romantic, and dramatic, and Atonement is a film that masterfully expresses the overarching sense of adventure and emotion that such stories are meant to convey. In this instance, the story centers around the love story of highborn Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and housekeeper’s son Robbie Turner (James McAvoy, in a star-making turn), in England shortly before World War II. Despite their class differences, they are powerfully attracted to each other, and just as their relationship begins Robbie is tragically forced away due to false accusations from Cecilia’s younger sister Briony (Saoirse Ronan). She has a crush on Robbie, too, and after reading a private letter he sent to Cecilia, and then witnessing the first expression of their mutual love but mistaking it for mistreatment, her resentment grows until it leads to her telling the lie that will send Robbie away. Soon World War II breaks out; Robbie enlists and is posted to France, Cecilia is a nurse in London, and Briony, now age 18 and aware of what she has done, tries to atone for her actions--but none of them will be able to get back what they have lost. Knightley and McAvoy are perfectly cast as the young star crossed lovers, and the young Ronan is particularly impressive, but it’s clear that the real star of this film is the director. Wright allows Atonement to revel in every moment of its story and each scene is compelling in its own way, but that now famous extended shot with Robbie on the beach at Dunkirk--filmed in one take and sure to be considered one of the great long tracking shots in film history--is the most memorable moment in this remarkable film. Atonement is an excellent example of what can happen when a great book meets great filmmaking. This is one that is not to be missed. --Daniel Vancini
Stills from Atonement (click for larger image).
Atonement (Widescreen Edition) Reviews:
Atonement: The Beautiful Tragedy 
2009-11-21 - Atonement was one of the first movies in a long time to move me to tears. Keira Knightley and James McAvoy play Cecilia and Robbie, and young couple in love doomed to have their blossoming love torn to shreds because of a misunderstanding. The story is told mostly through the eyes of Briony, an overly imaginative 13-year-old who ruins her sister's life as well as her own because of this misunderstanding.
The script to Atonement is fabulous, and all of the characters are cast perfectly. Knightley has definitely showed that she has matured since the awful Pirates movies, and James McAvoy is so devastatingly adorable that you can't NOT love him. the cinematography was outstanding; the whole movie glowed in the typical Joe Wright fashion. I truly believe it should have one best movie the year it came out.
My only complaint: the unrealistic idea that such drastic changes occurred over the course of a few hours. Otherwise, the movie was perfection.
I really like the movie. 
2009-11-01 - This is a good movie. It didn't end how I would have liked, but it was still very good.
Intelligent Writing, Suspenseful, Romantic
2009-09-19 - Great writing. It has all the elements of life! Definitely for the thinking person.
Rubbish !! 
2009-08-26 - I can't believe that I actually paid money for this junk! It has no plot, no character development, and a sad sorry ending, not to mention the historical mistakes in the content. The film includes several historical inaccuracies. Soldiers at Dunkirk are heard singing the Vera Lynn song The White Cliffs of Dover despite the fact that the song was not written until the following year. At Dunkirk, references are made to the loss of life caused by the sinking of The Lancastria, another event which had yet to occur. Additionally, the film indicates that Robbie served with the 1st Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, in France; in fact, the 1st Battalion was not part of the BEF, although the regiment's 2nd Battalion did participate in the Battle of France.
There is no real storyline....the plot is thin as soup, and the two main characters are not allowed to fully develop themselves on screen. I found the ending so ludicrous, as if the viewing public is suppose to accept this trash. The dialog is meaningless as the ending is pointless. All the hype for this movie, that some film critics admired? No romance, happy ending here. Just a lukewarm, dismal motion picture, with scenery better than the actors and dialog. Don't waste your time or money....it's pure rubbish!!
Romance/based on true events
2009-08-12 - Very beautiful . The writer courage to go thru all those sad events of her own life is amazing.
It must have been a relief for her to write about it.
The movie is very good too.
