FIND YOU - LOVE YOU - MARRY YOU. (Atonement (DVD))

Member Name: PRINCESSPUSSYCAT

Product:	Atonement (DVD)
Date:	20/07/08 (228 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The most fantastic cinematography.

Disadvantages: None.

--ATONEMENT--

Atonement was released in 2007. Directed by Joe Wright and based on a critically acclaimed novel of the same name, by Ian McEwan. Starring: James McAvoy, Keira Knightly, Saoirse Ronan and Vanessa Redgrave. - Genre: Drama/Romance/War - BBFC Rating: 15 - Running Time: 123 Minutes -

Music by Dario Marianelli. Cinematography Seamus McGarvey.


Atonement is a story of an upper class family who live in a huge country mansion. It is set initially in 1935 pre war Britain and it is a very interesting and complex film. Basically it is the tale of the relationship of two sisters and a local man. A love triangle of sorts. Bryony is thirteen, and a very Precocious, sensitive, creative and highly strung individual. Her older sister Cecilia is a vivacious, 20 something, and is a very beautiful creature indeed. Bryony harbours a fascination with her sister and a jealousy of the attention that centres on her. There is a man at the heart of this tale, Robbie, the housekeeper's son whose studies have been financed by Cecilia's father and whom Cecilia is very much in love with. She keeps it hidden though, because, as she says to Bryony, when asked by her sister, why she didn't really talk to him any more; Cecilia's reply was, "Because we move in different circles". So here the class divide was evidently separating the love that they felt for one another.


Whilst collecting flowers in the grounds a vase is broken and Cecilia strips off and plunges in to the fountain water to retrieve the broken piece, as she surfaces, Robbie is filled with desire at witnessing her body through her wet clothes. Unable to put his passion into words, Robbie goes home and composes a note to her. He composes two actually, one is crude and sexual where he has written down what he what like to do to her in his fantasies, and he uses the C word. The other is more formal and is the correct one which he means to send. He rushes down to the meadow and sees Bryony running wildly through the grass and he asks her to deliver his note to Cecilia before he arrives for dinner at the big house later that evening. On reaching home, to his horror, he realises that he has included the wrong note in the letter.


Now, Bryony has a huge crush on Robbie, an intense infatuation and at thirteen can't identify just what these feelings mean. One day Bryony throws herself into the lake to see if Robbie will save her, which of course he does, and like some great romantic scene from a movie Bryony says, "You saved my life", I owe you everything, you are my hero. Bryony is a very gifted young woman and writes plays for her cousins to perform and on the very night that they are due to do just this, after the big dinner, a strange and very dark happening occurs that will alter the lives of Cecilia, Bryony and Robbie forever. -


Atonement is an incredibly beautiful film and one that moves at an urgent pace. From the very opening scene when Bryony is hurriedly finishing writing the play on her typewriter, the tap of the keys forms the beat of the music and it is sharp and urgent and the whole feel underlying is that of a frantic nature and of a foreboding. This is brilliantly done and throughout the film strange sounds such as these, are picked out and featured as a tempo and beat as part of the musical score. There is urgency running right through the heart of this film and it shown in fast movement, fast cuts and the cast always walking quickly accompanied by the haunting and hugely moving piano playing and the wonderful musical score.


There is strange use of flashbacks and flash forwards at odd times during the film though it is not hard to keep up, but it does throw you off balance a bit and this is probably what was intended. The film is striking, not only in its stunning use of cinematography, and this is some of the best I've ever seen without a doubt, but also in the amazing propping in this film. It captured the era perfectly. Every detail, every prop was beautifully chosen and the flow of the film was perfectly believable because wherever the eye was cast, every item was on keeping. There is so much to applaud within the film. The costumes and make-up, the casting, which was fantastic and where ever they found the two curly, red haired twin cousins was incredible. They looked like something out of Famous Five, so in keeping with the era.


Much like 'Sliding Doors' when you are given two scenarios of a given situation, then Atonement does similar and more. They will show a scene from one angle and viewpoint and then they show it from another person's perspective. This is incredibly powerful film making and I loved the use of this. The whole film worked amazingly well on every level. The story is superb, intricate and highly interesting, moving and very poignant. I never get emotional watching a film but with Atonement the sheer beauty of it all just swept me away and the heartbreaking realism on display did get to me I have to admit. The film showed the 'upstairs downstairs' aspect well and the class divide of rural England. As the film changes in time, the reconstruction and images of a war torn era and the spirit of Dunkirk were shown in dramatic and accurate form. There is nothing not to praise here. Every last detail was as it should be.


The acting was first class James McAvoy gave a blinding performance as Robbie, entirely believable and superbly sincere and Keira Knightly was spellbinding. The camera loves her and her close-ups were perfection. She really is very beautiful. For me, those two gave the finest performances. The supporting cast were also extremely good. The direction is superb and the story has an incredible depth to it. What stole the film for me ultimately, was the stunning countryside and beautiful lakes. The cinematography was some of the best I've ever witnessed. It captured every fine detail in such amazing use of the close up. The sweeping angles of the poppy fields, the blades of grass, the swirl on the water of the lake and the breathtaking underwater cinematography had me spellbound throughout.


The music was also absolutely incredible all the way through the film. Music is running through the core of this film which aids brilliantly in creating the huge atmosphere and emotion throughout. The music and cinematography worked hand in hand with ease to create a visually and audibly spectacular masterpiece of a film and basically I can't praise it enough. Atonement won many awards including an Oscar.-


Music by Dario Marianelli
Cinematography Seamus McGarvey


Thank you for reading
PRINCESSPUSSYCAT
July 2008*

Summary: A beautiful film with stunning cinematography.