2008 is turning out to be a good year for watching movies. So far I haven’t seen anything that was a waste of time. Okayyyy, I’ve only seen 2 films for the year and it’s only mid January but film #3 is another one which I’d recommend to watch. It is none other than Atonement, starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy who I thought was very cute as the faun, Mr Tumnus in The Chronicles of Narnia. I especially have a soft spot for him because he kinda reminds me of my husband 😉

I read the book about 4 years ago and added Ian McEwan to my favourite authors list. He wrote beautifully about how a moment of childish jealousy and somewhat innocent display of revenge lead to consequences beyond the comprehension of a 13 year old. Little sister of the extremely wealthy Tallis family, Briony spends the rest of the life trying to atone for that one foolish mistake.

The little girl was amazing as the lead and I read somewhere she may be up for an Oscar. Vanessa Redgrave played the very much older Briony in a killer end scene and between her and the young Saoirse Ronan, Briony Tallis was incredibly intriguing and completely believable.

As in all book adaptations, the movie wasn’t as detailed but it worked very well. The direction managed to capture the essentials of the book with audio and visual motifs that balance art with story. What would you do if your little sister was the reason you couldn’t be with the person you love? Cecilia decides to leave her family and works as a nurse through the second world war hoping that her love, Robbie will come back alive. If nothing else, Atonement is a love story that will make you grateful for your own.