In Continuum.

Atonement is a period drama set in the warring days of World War II, when the rich stayed in the comfort of their mansions at the countryside, ignorant and unaware of the going-ons in the outside world. One hot summer, young Briony Tallis witnessed a scene that she did not understand by the fountain that involved Cecelia Tallis, her sister, and Robbie Turner, the servant of the house - played by Keira Knightley and James McAvoy respectively. In her mind, Briony conjured up a false truth that framed Robbie as the sexual predator in the family, and falsely accused him of raping her cousin Lola one night in the bushes. The misunderstanding occurred when a letter written from Robbie was misread and misunderstood by Briony, who purposefully read the letter without Cecelia's permission. So Robbie was arrested that very night and thrown into prison, the two lovers of a forbidden love torn apart by concrete walls and iron bars. He had a choice, though: To remain in prison or fight the war. So Robbie elected war in hopes to return to Cecelia one day, all the while living the consequences of the lie a little girl made up five years ago.

In terms of pacing, the film was definitely a breeze to sit through, save for a few minor hiccups in the middle of the movie when Briony grows up and becomes a trainee nurses at a hospital to help out the wounded. The film is essentially divided into two main arches, with a minor epilogue at the very end that involves an old Briony to tie up the loose ends. The first part of the film was intriguing to sit through, taking the audience into a believable story set in the past, though the events that transpired were more than just forceful and tried. Everything from the incident by the fountain to the letter being accidentally placed into the envelope were just too dramatically driven, and it almost seemed like the director was trying too hard to convince us that the events did occur, that the characters really were that stupid to believe that such things happened. But once I looked pass those aspects, the first part of the film became immensely enjoyable. Joe Wright's treatment of non-verbal cues from the actors were phenomenon. Much of the film's strengths came not from the words spoken, but the words that were not. A brush of Cecelia's hand on the back of Robbie's, from the way they'd stand in front of one another in embarrassment. The treatment of those scenes were done with such care and precision, that it became hard to take your eyes away.

The second part of the film felt a little boggled down by the density of the material at hand. Portraying the second world war at its end, it was effective in the attempt but hardly anything ground-breaking. We follow the footsteps of Robbie through the jungles in France, Cecelia's work in the hospital and Briony's trainee days, all the while trying to write a book about the mistake that she made five years ago. This is the part of the movie that is the most important to the entire film, simply because of how it relates strongly to the end of the film where the power of Ian McEwan's writings really shone through, when the tragedy of the story really hits home and punches you in the guts. This is not a movie you should expect yourself to come out of the cinema with a smile on your face. This is a tragedy that is worthy of the word "Shakespearean" tagged to the front, and it is definitely nothing short of that. Any more details told about the epilogue would surely spoil the experience for the readers, but let's just say that the final five minutes of the film made it one of the best of 2007, indeed.

In terms of the technicalities of the film, everything is Oscar-worthy and top-notch here. We have the brilliant cinematography that showcased the brilliant landscapes and the sceneries. The imageries were so beautiful that you could almost reach out and grab them, and a particular shot that lasted for nearly five minutes reminded me of the technique used by Alfonso Cuaron in Children of Men. In this scene, the camera never left the characters for a single second, as they walked through the devastated beach at Dunkirk. The single shot was impressive, though not nearly as eye-opening as the ones used in Children of Men. Nonetheless, that shot transpired the immediacy of the situation, immersed the characters in the situation and transported us from our seats onto the beach with that one single take. 

Other than the beautiful cinematography engaged to tell the story, the music itself was pretty impressive as well. The composer, Dario Marianelli, effectively used the sounds of the typewriter and an umbrella banging against the hood of a car into the score itself. I thought it was a refreshing and bold take on a score, and it was effective how he used the theme with the typewriter to signify the entrance of Briony at the beginning of the film and the middle section as well. Other than the two aspects of the score mentioned, there were also other minor parts of the soundtrack that was flawlessly incorporated into the score, which I found to be quite interesting indeed. 

In terms of the performances, young Briony was amazing for as long as she lasted on screen, which is probably why she is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for the Oscars this year. The other two older versions of herself, Romola Garai and Vanessa Redgrave, also made solid performances, though very subtle and calm for the most part. They were powerful in the portrayal of their characters living in utter self-pity and guilt, and thus the theme of this film: Atonement. The leads had decent acting parts here, with Kiera Knightley playing a slightly more mature role than before, though still a little raw to the part and acting in a period drama all over again. James McAvoy really made the film for me, he is perfect as the young Robbie Turner. I suppose this guy is going to have a lot of good film roles thrown at him in the future, because what he brings to the screen is more than the lines and the facial expressions, but this life that you don't get in a lot of actors out there. He radiates charm when he needs to, and he burns with anger when he wants to. It was a joy to see him on screen, though a little intimidating when he lost his temper somewhere towards the end.

This film is a tragic film, whether you are watching it in the cinemas or reading it at home on your bed. It's a gut-wrenching film that takes you by the heart and squeezes it until you run out of blood and breath. This is an exceptionally crafted film from the beginning till the end, and definitely something I am going to recommend. The revelation at the end of the film is going to hit your heart like a sledgehammer, because you just feel sad for the character of Briony, despite the atrocities she did when she was young. But who are we to blame a young girl with a imaginative mind that wandered to the wrong side of fantasy? You'd find out just how far she has wandered into the realm of her own efforts to atone her mistakes, and how her lies not only destroyed a couple, but her life as well. This is a brilliant film, but it isn't something you'd want to catch when you are in the mood for a light film. This film is anything but, and watch it only when you want to be blown away by the power of cinema.