Atonement(John)

Atonement was not at all what I expected it to be. I thought it was going to be a sappy love story. That was not the case at all. The story is really more about the consequences of the character's actions and how they atone for their transgressions. The love elements serve as something that audiences can relate to. There were numerous flashbacks and hallucination scenes. It was a little confusing at first, but once I saw what they were trying to do, I was good to go.
The characters were interesting for the most part. I really liked young Brilley until she turned on Robbie. And Robbie was definitely an interesting character. Here's a guy who was born a servant and has a very good education. But he's still looked upon as a servant in some ways. And the stuff that happens to him in the movie were both tragic and sad. I didn't think Keira Knightly was pretty in this film. I think it was the hair. But, she did a good acting job.
The musical score and cinematography were both amazing. The setting for the film couldn't have been better. The typewriter pieces within the score gave a sense of urgency that let you know that Brilley was up to something.
I definitely didn't think I would like this film but it surprised me. I'll give it an 8 out of 10.
- John Murphy