Home Rating: - Forgettable
I agree with a previous ctitic, this film had most of the ingredients to make a memorable film - except the screenplay. It was fine until a certain point, then went to hell. Don't buy it, rent it if you feel you've got to see it.

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Rating: - Lovely, tragic and not perfect
Reading reviews on Amazon always bemuses me. Why some people seem to get so angry about a film, its diversion from the book or one or another actor confuses me. Anyway no anger here.

I have always been an enormous fan of Ian McEwan and think that atonement is one of his greatest novels. But, like all great tragedies (and believe me this is a tragedy), it leaves you with an empty feeling. The book manages to convey the deep erotic and almost painful love of C and Robbie in a way that was always going to be difficult to convey in a mainstream movie. So maybe that's where it falls down.

But. This is a beautifully shot movie with gorgeous backdrops, wonderful cinematography and a marvellous score. There are those who seem to have a gripe with Knightley and her "boyish" form. I find this inexplicable. It is these very characteristics that make her perfect for this part... an innocent girl in an increasingly adult world. Both her, James McEvoy and the rest of the cast put in good (if not great) perfomances.

There are those who will never like this film with its Merchant ivory'esque themes, cliches (movies are FULL of cliches) and artistic licence with its literary origins. But for the rest of us. Sit back, feast and get the tissues out.

Thoroughly enjoyable, if ultimately tragic.

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Rating: - Missed opportunity
All the ingredients are here for a great film but it just doesn't quite come off. The film is beautifully shot, with an interesting use of sound effects, but the romance, which is central the plot just doesn't convince or move, leaving what ought to be a heart-rendingly tragic tale falling flat. Keira Knightley's character of Cecilia is particularly exasperating, and Knightley just doesn't have the maturity or ability (at least for now) to convince in this role. The scenes of war were too long to serve any purpose and the ending abrupt and unsatisfactory.

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Rating: - Beautifully haunting, and hauntingly beautiful
What is up with all these 1, and 2 star reviews!? Even if the film differs from the novel by Ian McEwan (which, I would not know as I have not read the book yet) at least take this film for what it is - a beautiful & haunting story of a love torn apart by a child's mistake, and stop making comparison's of how bad this film is compared to the book because it deserves to be judged on it's own right too. The story is gorgeous - James McAvoy and Keria Knightley play the lovers Robbie Turner and Cecilia Tallis, who, upon finally admitting their feelings for each other are torn apart as Robbie is sent to prison for allegedly raping the Tallis' cousin Lola Quincey. However, Robbie was not guilty, and was only thought so because Cecilia's younger sister, Briony Tallis, jumped to the wrong conclusion. The remainder of the film tells of what happens to Robbie, Cecilia, and Tallis years after this event, and ultimatley, whether the lovers ever managed to be together and have the happy ending they deserved.

This film is achingly sad - all about lost opportunities, what may have been contrasted to what was, and how a single mistake can rip apart a person's entire life. 3 people suffered greatly at the hands of the lie, and the film is about Briony's attempts to repair the wound she created, because, as she grew up, she realised how devastatingly wrong her actions were. The acting in this film is superb. I have always been a fan of James McAvoy and this is probably my favourite perfromance by him - McAvoy acts with such subtlety and intensity, in every scene you can feel his emotions, exactly what the character of Robbie is feeling, even when he doesn't say a single word. I've never been the biggest fan of Keira Knightley (actually, I believe her acting in the POTC films is quite simply, dreadful), but she blew me away as Cecilia Tallis - I don't know whether she felt more at home with this type of character, or whether her movie experiences since have improved her acting skills drastically, but she embodied the character of Cecilia perfectly, playing the party, very, very well. But, my favourite performance by far has to be from Saoirse Ronan (very unsual name) as the 13 year olf Briony Tallis - it is one of those instances where you don't even realise this is an actor playing a part - she was entirely believable and more than faultless in her performance.

This is a beautiful film that I believe will be remembered in many years to come. It thoroughly deserves every one of those 5 stars I have given it, and probably more. It is a subtle, intense, hanutingly beautiful film with brilliant acting, phenomenal direction, a very good script (though how much of that came staright out of the novel I do not know) and even a perfect soundtrack. Faultless. And beautiful. Watch it now.

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Rating: - Absolute tosh
This film is boring and badly acted especially by Miss Knighty. The story not clear and missing vital information from the book well not so much missing but not making it clear.

I looked forward to taking my wife to this and wished I had not it was truly truly bad. She like myself had read the book at some time but seriously felt let down.

Would not recommend at all, stay at home with your feet up and watch paint drying its more fun honest!