atonement

james mcavoy

it wss my mother's birthday yesterday and she wanted to go to lunch and a film. we went to a deli for sandwiches- she had egg salad and i had a reuben, and then we filed in to see "atonement". wow, that film really blew me away. truly, i loved it. the performances were solid. some of the scenes looked a bit staged to me, but the screenplay, especially the framework, left me breathless.

so much of what transpired to lead up the pivotal point in the film is actually quite beautiful to look at. and besides the dreamlike quality that some of the shots outside the mansion had, the pace was fairly natural. of course, the reasons for the dreamlike qualities get explained at the closing of the film.

i guess the unsettling aspect for me, and the most compelling and memorable, was how a spur of the moment selfish act by someone, more reactionary than calculated, can alter so many lives. and i was so taken with evoloution of sacrifice and secret sadness, as well as the perceived hardships of moving on.

the hero (james mcavoy) is beautiful, and portrays innocence, hard work, and the limitations of class with the ease of a principal dancer. and vanessa redgrave at the closing of the film seals the deal.

the story may not be relevant, it may not be important, but this drama honestly felt human to me. with the juxtaposition of secluded life on a private estate set against the boundary-free military hospitals and war torn countryside, the images and scenes were splashed with remarkable light and shadow. i had a memorable afternoon.

one added feature was the soundtrack for me. the addition of the sound of typewriter keys populated, punctuated, and permeated the score. below is a piece of music called "elegy for dunkirk" (sans the typewriter) that i also find moving. i really like the use of the chorus here.

and please believe me when i wish for you to "have a beautiful sunday"