Plot Summary
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 years best picture (Thelma Adams, US Weekly).
Credits
Director
Screenwriter
- Christopher Hampton
Producers
Movie Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes
TOMATOMETER
83%- Reviews Counted: 208
- Fresh: 173
- Rotten: 35
- Average Rating: 7.4/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: These performers not only have the looks for a sweeping love story, they also have the skill to throw themselves into the proceedings like they really mean it.
Fresh: It ranks with the best novel adaptations of recent times.
Fresh: Atonement takes a familiar movie environment, a setting that we think we know, and uses it for an examination of a host of dark impulses, such as jealousy, lust, cruelty and deceit.
Rotten: Atonement is not only too polite but maddeningly orderly, resulting in a prettily cast, professionally performed, impeccably mounted bore.
Customer Reviews
Definately a masterpiece!!!
"Atonement" was one of the best films of 2007, hands down. The story is about a little girl's imagination that goes too far and she ends up telling a lie that tears two lovers apart (one person being her sister, the other a friend of the family's), and changes hers and the couples' lives. James McAvoy is a rising star but has earned a spot in Hollywood with his fantastic performance. Keira Knightley did a terrific job as well. But the real congrats goes to Saoirse Ronan. For such a young women, she does a stupendous job, such a good job that you wonder whether she really is the supporting female role. "Atonement" is a must-see and an instant classic. Thank you iTunes!!!!
A Masterpiece
If there ever was such a thing as a cinematic masterpiece, this film would be a fine example of that. I used to consider Keira Knightley as just an actress who was hired only because of her looks, but no longer do I. She was absolutely wondeful in this film and deserves to be regarded as one of the better actresses of this time. I was previously not familiar with any of James McAvoy's work, but I found him to be simply incredible. His subtility greatly contributed to the film being so good. I also rather enjoyed Saoirse Ronan's performance as Knightley's little sister. She received a much deserved Oscar nomination for her role in the film. Her ability to act as well as she did essentially carried the film to greatness. She basically plays the lead, and does a remarkable job doing so. I was very surprised to see that "Atonement" did not grab Best Picture at the Oscars. It was indeed stiff competition, but I think that this film just had more of an effect on the audience, as opposed to the winner of Best Picture and the other nominees. All in all though, this is truly a phenominal work of art.
I love this movie!
Atonement is one of the best movies of 2007. I think that Keira Knightley and James McAvoy should BOTH have been nominated for Academy Awards and Saorse Ronan should have won for Best Supporting Actress. Even though I really loved this movie, I also thought that it was one of the saddest movies I have ever seen. When you rent this movie, be sure to have about 100 boxes of Kleenex with you. :)
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