Atonement (DVD)

Atonement, taken from Ian McEwans "classic" novel, is the type of movie that, despite its near universal acclaim and seven Oscar nominations, I am not usually able to get excited over. It was the only Best Picture nominee I was never able to bring myself to see before the ceremony, and my expectations were mixed at best. Now that I was obligated to watch it, I can say it accomplished the rare feat of both wonderfully surpassing those expectations, and infuriatingly failing to live up to them.

For its initial 45 minutes or so, Atonement is an exceptional film. Revolving around the sordid affairs of those at a rich English family's estate in 1936. Director Joe Wright manages to take the concept of a fairly standard chamber drama and single-handedly make it interesting through its execution. Atonement is a film about perception, and at least for its first portion, Wright's cinematic sleight of hand works beautifully.

Seamus McGarvey's lush cinematography and Dario Marianelli's score complement each other very well, drawing us into the ostensibly idyllic world the characters inhabit, while also hinting at the sinister secrets that lie beneath the surface. Wright also draws outstanding performances from his leads, with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy standing out as Cecelia and Robbie, the two romantic leads. Rounding out the cast is the young Saorise Ronan as Cecilia's sister Briony who, while not quite giving a performance the same caliber of Dillon Freasier's as HW in There Will be Blood, is very talented for a child actor. This first act is almost flawless, and if that had been all there was, Atonement would have been an excellent short. Unfortunately, there is more, and it is not at all as good.

Almost as soon as we leave the estate and jump ahead four years, Atonement succumbs to its formulaic melodramatic literary roots. Focusing on Robbie's wartime experience, the final hour and fifteen minutes of Atonement are as bland and derivative as the first forty-five are exciting and inventive. The film quickly devolves into an unoriginal wartime romance, and is never able to recover its momentum. I won't give away any specifics about the ending out of respect to the people who are yet to see it (I don't exactly discourage a viewing), but it more or less turns into Titanic without the boat. I will say no more about the actual content, but I will place some much deserved blame on Ian McEwan, who I believe to be primarily responsible for the debacle that is the final act.

Although it does derail, Atonement is a film which never loses its style. Wright seems to be an exceptionally talented filmmaker with a keen sense of style (which is especially evident in the celebrated tracking shot), and the performances are consistent throughout. The only real flaw in the movie is the story itself which, to the best of my understanding, is fairly faithful to McEwan's novel. What works on the page is not necessarily fit for the screen, and as is the case with Atonement, too much loyalty to one's source material will oftentimes results in failure. Even Fight Club had to be seriously reworked to work as a movie.

As far as special features go, Atonement is pretty decent (which is more than I can say about most movies). Two featurettes of the back-patting variety can be easily skipped, but the deleted scenes are worth watching for fans of the movie, and Joe Wright's commentary is surprisingly informative. Listening to the commentary track greatly increased my appreciation of the film, and while it did not make me like the final act any more, it does prove his intelligence. With Pride and Prejudice as his only other major credit, Wright seems to be unfortunately cornering himself in the world of stuffy English dramas. He is far too talented and intelligent to corner himself in such a dead-end genre with little room for innovation, and needs to take on a project that allows him more freedom to explore his capabilities. At least I learned something from this DVD.

While I cannot wholeheartedly recommend Atonement, I cannot quite discourage it either. It is an interestingly done film that certainly has its merits, and should satisfy most as a rental. It's story flaws can be overcome easily enough to enjoy some intriguing filmmaking, proving that sometime style truly does triumph over substance.