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James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan, Vanessa Redgrave ... see more see more... , Allie MacKay , Brenda Blethyn , Julia Ann West , Harriet Walter , Juno Temple , Charlie Von Simson , Alfie Allen , Patrick Kennedy , Benedict Cumberbatch , Peter Wight , Leander Deeny , Peter McNeil O'Connor , Daniel Mays , Nonso Anozie , Michel Vuillermoz , Lionel Abelanski , Tobias Menzies , Paul Stocker , Alex Noodle , Roger Evans , Bronson Webb , Ian Bonar , Oliver Gilbert , Jamie Beamish , Johnny Harris , Nick Bagnall , Billy Seymour , Neil Maskell , Paul Harper , Gina McKee , Charlie Banks , Madeleine Crowe , Scarlett Dalton , Olivia Grant , Katy Lawrence , Jade Moulla , Georgia Oakley , Alice Orr-Ewing , Catherine Philps , Bryony Reiss , Sarah Shaul , Anna Singleton , Emily Thomson , Michelle Duncan , Kelly Scott , Mark Holgate , Ryan Kiggell , Vivienne Gibbs , Matthew Forest , Richard Stacey , Jay Quinn , Jérémie Renier , John Normington , Jack Harcourt , Ben Harcourt , Tilly Vosburgh , Angel Witney , Bonnie Witney , Webb. Bem , Wendy Nottingham , Anthony Minghella , Roger Hanin , Richard Berry , Gérard Darmon , Christopher Walken , Jill Clayburgh , Jennifer Beals , Jean-François Stévenin , Jean Benguigui , Raúl Dávila , Philippe Sfez , Jim Moody , Robert Escobar , Amidou , Jean-Claude de Goros , Armand Mestral , Anne Berger

A mischievous girl accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit, only to find that her words have irrevocably and permanently changed the lives of all involved in a film that re-teams... read more read more... the filmmakers behind Pride & Prejudice to adapt the best-selling 2002 novel by author Ian McEwan. The year is 1935, and as the summer heat takes hold, 13-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis watches her older sister, Cecilia (Keira Knightley), get undressed and go frolicking in the garden fountain on her family's country estate. The housekeeper's son, Robbie (James McAvoy), a childhood friend and recent Cambridge graduate, also witnesses the innocent act. When Robbie and Cecilia subsequently cross a particularly sensitive boundary and the scheming Briony accuses Robbie of an unspeakable transgression for which the boy is wholly innocent, the repercussions of her unfounded claim threaten to affect all three for decades to come. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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195,888 ratings

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208 critics

R, 2 hr. 3 min.

Directed by: Joe Wright

Release Date: September 7, 2007

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DVD Release Date: March 18, 2008

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Flixster Reviews (35,833)

  • groaningbitch
    January 1, 2012
    groaningbitch
    browsing the flixster reviews on my list, and i find most people who enjoy this movie just generally tag it as a WAR-EPIC-ROMANCE, a sort of hemingway-esque farewell to arms scenario with a much more lurid modern sexual episode in the library. so what is the ingredient that disti... read morenguishes atonement? ADOLESCENT VOYEURISM. and this is a movie abot briony, the malicious perverted peeping tom who deliberately sends her sister's lover into jail, and the movie is entirely her wet dreams!!! (people seem to miss the focus) why people identity with it? because we've all been there.

    in most people's wishful thinking, this movie is about a dynamic romance torn apart by misunderstandings. a 13 year-old girl discovers her grown sister having sex with a family acquitance in her household library, and what follows is that the under-aged family nanny gets raped right afterwards. what happens is she mistakes her sister's precious boyfriend as rapist and reports him to the police. after realizing the consquences of her doings, she spends the rest of her life repenting over it. thus she writes a book called atonement just to grant them a falsified happy ending.

    but the visage this movie applies is through the gaze of briony, the 13 year-old adolescent. the pleasure of watching atonement is peeping-tom-ism. the movie is not about the beauty of epic romance but the remorse of a pathetic voyeur, whose fright toward the discovery of her own sexuality and the danger of having your sexuality awakened in such early age before you acquires the art of coping with it. (very puritanical, i suppose).

    the movie is presented through non-linear narratives from various perspectives, firstly briony's view, then the omniscient third-person visage, maybe occasionally the man's view or the woman's view. at last, you shall find out it is all happening within briony's mind. the more she reveals, the darker, the more vile the truth is. the truth is: she has a crush on her sister's boyfriend (she purposely jumps into the deep water just to have him save her, and risking your own life just for the attention of your crush hides something deeper and more fundamentally diseased beneath), but she is just 13 and she represses that. one day she discovers her much more matured, sensual and attractive sister having enchanted the man she loves, she gets pissed! she even reads his letter for her without permission (act of extreme jealousy)! she wants to punish him and her, and the best way is to report him as a rapist and ruin their lives. come on, she could have squared his record immediately but she waits more than 5 years, eventually just never! she claims to give up cambridge to be a nurse to compensate her sin so she could have remained an idealized sense of herself. as a matter of fact, she prefers to suffer just to have both of them doomed! even years of labors as a petite good nurse cannot ease off her vengeful desire for that! she cannot forgive them until she is about to die, till then, she could just give them a fictional happy ending. (in other words, she must have spent her whole life resenting cecilia for banging robbie, or vice versa)

    atonement is not a romantic movie, and it should be a thriller about how dangerous your seemingly innocent little sister could have wretcked your life! why people've found it romantic and touching, because we were all briony wishing to be cecilia and robbie, and have that flamy kind of first love as they do. this movie floats through the gaze of briony, which is shared by the audience as well, we step into her shoes, understanding her panic, anguish, bitter jealousy meanwhile insanely envying the couple , and we are also hypocritical enough to bestow a virtual happy ending to the couple just to make oursevles feel better.

    SPOILERS (adults only)
    (ps) personally i enjoy the part james mcavoy types the letter for keira knightly, he is intended to pen her an innocent note of apology but he ends up composing a dirty poem "in my dreams/i wanna kiss your cunt/your sweet wet cunt" (oops!)...then he sends off the wrong note by mistake. it makes me laugh to think of how a frivolous little poem leads to a wild sexual encounter. (telling a chick how much you wish to endear yourself to her "genital" seems to work better than a polite note of sweet tenderness here..lol)

    honestly, if i were briony, yes, i might read the letter, or "accidentally" witness their lovemaking. but the normal reaction is to be scared and intimidated because you don't wanna lose your sister's camaraderie or secretly get excited for it. gee, how many times during adolescence my sister pretended to take me out but she went out dating instead. i had to be her camouflage for many many times.
  • jamers2011
    September 25, 2011
    jamers2011
    Perfect! I absolutely loved it...
  • SirPant
    July 4, 2011
    SirPant
    I prepared myself for the worst, maybe that's why I didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. Apart from a few stunning visuals this was very much a forgettable story to begin with but thanks to the quite risky theme and the brutal but brilliant ending, I quite enjoyed it. Va... read morenessa Redgrave really steals the show at the end, although her part was handed to her on a silver platter and that is all down to the great writing - this is a real case of redemption in the last 20 minutes but definitely worth a watch if you haven't already!
  • thmtsang
    July 1, 2011
    thmtsang
    Pre-WWI, two lovers from different classes have the odds stacked against them. A lie and false witnesses cause irreversible damage. The movie is seen through the eyes of a girl called Bryony (Cecilia's sister, who is played by Keira). Keira gives her best performance yet. James i... read mores brilliant as Robbie. Modern day Romeo and Juliet -tragic love story.
  • fb535316333
    June 5, 2011
    fb535316333
    Atonement isn't so much a romance as it is a stylistic, enthralling drama that explores the emotional maturity of a 13 year old girl.

    There's an evident amount of uneven pacing that retracts my willingness to give this movie five stars. However you can't help but appreciate this... read more carefully crafted story, full of subtleties that work well as both plot points and foreshadowing.

    Combine that with an array of competent actors including Ronan and you've got yourself an incredibly successful adaptation.
  • LWOODS04
    May 31, 2011
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Saoirse Ronan, Brenda Blethyn, Vanessa Redgrave, Romola Garai, Juno Temple, Michelle Duncan, Harriet Walter

    Director: Joe Wright

    Summary: When 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) discovers a lustful letter and witnesses a sexual ... read moreencounter between her older sister (Keira Knightley) and a servant's son (James McAvoy), her confusion prompts her to finger the young man for a violent crime. Her half-truth changes their lives forever in this Oscar-nominated drama based on the critically acclaimed novel by Ian McEwan.

    My Thoughts: "Great dramatic love story. I love Keira Knightley and James McAvoy in period pieces. They just fit the roles brilliantly. A really great job by a young Saoirse Ronan as Briony. All three actresses who played Briony were great. You believe these three actresses are one in this character. The story is quite bitter-sweet. *SPOILER MAYBE* You feel sympathy for Briony because she was never able to make piece with her sister or Robbie.*END OF SPOILER* I loved the way the film went back and forth to show you the lie and the truth. It made the story that much more easier to follow. I wouldn't mind seeing this again."
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    May 22, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    I'll be quite frank, I was apprehensive in watching Atonement for I thought it was going to be a cheesy love story that tried to tug at your emotions and be a typical Hollywood tear jerker. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't, in fact it was the opposite of what I thought t... read morehis film was going to be. Sure theres the elements of romance, but theres also a backstory, that makes this film somewhat melancholic. After witnessing her older sister having sex with the box she loves, Briony accuses her sister's lover of a crime he did not commit. Their worlds now torn apart, Cecilia's lover is thrown in jail and released later under the condition he join the army. Atonement is a superbly crafted film. What I appreciate most about this film is that it's not a pathetic love story like the one in Titanic, but it's a sadder one. A better, more accomplished story than Titanic. Brilliantly acted by Keira Knightly and James McAvoy; Atonement is a love story with a twist. I don't normally like romance films, but the fact that the story had an interesting premise made this a watchable film. Atonement is a near flawless film that has a superb, talented cast and the film is simply phenomenal. Director Joe Wright crafts a solid picture and this romance film is the film to watch. I'd say that this is the best film of the genre since Memoirs Of A Geisha. A film worth seeing, Atonement is a well acted film with a strong story.
  • emilebond007
    February 8, 2011
    emilebond007
    When I first saw the Atonement trailer, I wasn't very interested to see it, as I wasn't interested to see Pride And Prejudice. I still liked very much James McAvoy and through the trailer, I thought it seemed like a beautiful film.
    I finally decided to go to the movies and see ... read moreAtonement, especially because it is the main leader in the Golden Globes nominations.
    From the first image to the last, I was fascinated by the beauty of every single aspects this film shows. The direction, the screenplay, the acting, the photography, the art direction, the orignial score, everything was filled with passion and greatness that made me think that if it wasn't for No Country For Old Men, Atonement would definitely be the best movie of the year !
    Don't be suprised that this magistral movie leads the Golden Globes, it totally earned it.

    Bravo.
  • nadirairdiana
    January 5, 2011
    nadirairdiana
    Beautiful movie about how misunderstanding can be very dangerous for people. Many actors play Briony Tallis, and everyone seems to represent her well. Keira Knightley and James McAvoy shines. Many scenes are created to make an imlplicit signs. I liked how some scenes bring some q... read moreuestions and mysterious and then the director takes us to flashback and we understand better from different perspectives. Joe Wright as a director always bring us "unusual" movie yet beautiful. The ending makes me very sad and it's definitely not a typical hollywood movie.
  • lewiskendell
    October 6, 2010
    lewiskendell
    "Yes. I saw him. I saw him with my own eyes."

    It's past time I wrote a proper review for Atonement, as it's am excellent movie in all aspects and a personal favorite of mine.

    I'm quite the fan of Joe Wright. He's talented enough to make Pride & Prejudice into a movie that both ... read moreguys and girls could enjoy, and pairing him with Keira Knightley again for another historical piece is basically a guarantee for success. The man knows how to craft a good drama.

    The first thing I love about Atonement is the cinematography. From the opening portions in the beautiful English countryside, to wartime London and the British evacuation at Dunkirk, this is a startlingly beautiful movie. Not a moment passes by without something eye-catching in the frame. From the settings to the costumes, it's a cinematic showcase.

    Second, the cast is outstanding. This was the movie that made Keira Knightley one of my five favorite current actresses, and made me a fan of James McAvoy. It was also the movie that proved that Saoirse Ronan is easily the best actress of her age. All three actresses who played Briony at different ages were good, but Ronan had the task of defining the character for the other two women, as well as the most challenging role in the movie. Her Academy Award nomination was completely deserved, especially for one so young.

    Third, this is an excellent adaptation of an excellent book. It's a movie that easily could have seemed disjointed because of the way it switches time periods, settings, and tone, but every part of it works and flows together. The changes from period drama to war film and back to drama are pulled off flawlessly.

    So yeah, I think very highly of Atonement. Any time a movie takes a genre that I'm not a huge fan of and MAKES me a huge fan, I'm impressed. It has something for almost everyone, and it's just a well-crafted film. Check it out, even if this kind of thing isn't normally to your taste.

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Critic Reviews

Bob Mondello
October 18, 2008
Bob Mondello, NPR.org

Joe Wright directs Atonement with an eye to framing each performance with spectacularly vivid images, including a genuinely breathtaking tracking shot on the bloody, wreckage-strewn beach at Dunkirk. Full Review

Christopher Orr
September 22, 2008
Christopher Orr, New Republic

Atonement is a film out of balance, nimble enough in its first half but oddly scattered and ungainly once it leaves the grounds of the Tallis estate. Full Review

Kenneth Turan
January 14, 2008
Kenneth Turan, Newsday

One of the few adaptations that gives a novel the film it deserves. Full Review

Joe Baltake
December 25, 2007
Joe Baltake, Passionate Moviegoer

The kind of classically contoured love story that American filmmakers have become (almost willfully) incapable of making anymore. Full Review

Roger Moore
December 20, 2007
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

A film that instantly joins the ranks of the great screen romances. Full Review

Tom Long
December 14, 2007
Tom Long, Detroit News

This is a film that might have contained itself better, but it still stings with bitter truth. Full Review

Bruce Newman
December 13, 2007
Bruce Newman, San Jose Mercury News

In its first 45 minutes, Atonement achieves a kind of perfection rare even for big Oscar-bait movies. Every facet of the filmmaking is the equal of any picture released this year. The rest of the movi... Full Review

Richard Roeper
December 10, 2007
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

Atonement has hints of greatness but I think it falls just short of Oscar contention.

Ray Bennett
December 7, 2007
Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter

It ranks with the best novel adaptations of recent times.

Joe Morgenstern
December 7, 2007
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

As good a film as one could imagine having been made from a great work of contemporary fiction. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Robbie Turner: [to Briony] I'm torn between breaking your neck and throwing you down the stairs.
    • Tommy Nettle: Cheerio, pal.
    • Older Briony: So, my sister and Robbie were never able to have the time together they both so longed for... and deserved. Which ever since I've... ever since I've always felt I prevented. But what sense of hope or satisfaction could a reader derive from an ending like that? So in the book, I wanted to give Robbie and Cecilia what they lost out on in life. I'd like to think this isn't weakness or... evasion... but a final act of kindness. I gave them their happiness.
    • Cecilia Tallis: [crying] I don't know how I could've been so ignorant about myself... so... so stupid. And you know what I'm talking about, don't you? You knew before I did.
    • Robbie Turner: Why're you crying?
    • Cecilia Tallis: Don't you know?
    • Robbie Turner: Yes, I know exactly. [kisses her]
    • Robbie Turner: [voiceover] Dearest Cecilia, the story can resume. The one I had been planning on that evening walk. I can become again the man who once crossed the surrey park at dusk, in my best suit, swaggering on the promise of life. The man who, with the clarity of passion, made love to you in the library. The story can resume. I will return. Find you, love you, marry you and live without shame.
    • Briony Taliis aged 13: Yes. I saw him.
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Atonement Trivia

  • In What movie did Jessica Alba not participate in?  Answer »
  • In the movie Atonement, Briony and Cecilia are:  Answer »
  • Of the following nominees, which movie won the 2008 Golden Globe for Best Picture - Drama?  Answer »
  • What British actress has been in - Bend it Like Beckham - Pride & Prejudice - Pirates of the Caribbean (I,II,III) - Atonement  Answer »
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