4/4  Tears and War
What makes this movie so brilliant is its unflinching ability to show what makes everyone uncomfortable. Not only does this movie have child molestation and the truly spiteful nature of little girls, but also the devestations of war and t... (read full)

2.5/4  Wishy-Washy...?
It's strange.

The cinematography is stunning...there are several difficult or unique shots here, which make me want to give it more credit..and the love letter montage (with several attempts set to various songs) was gorgeous...but as f... (read full)

1/4  There is no forgiving this movie
This may have been one of the worst movies that I have seen in 2008.I love both Keira Knighlty and James McAvoy, and I really wish they hadn't been part of this disaster. It starts off a little confusing as far as the relationship with KK ... (read full)

1.5/4  Atonement
Dissapointing. Not at all romatic or sad as people said - but maybe thats just me. I really enjoyed the first half of the film, as I found it really funny, when really it was supposed to be 'shocking and dirty'. Once Robbie (sorry for the ... (read full)

3/4  Pretty Good, But Could Have Been Better
I expected a lot coming into this film because of all the hype. I'm mildly disappointed because it was so different from what I had imagined but I cannot deny the fact that it is well done, especially with its pacing. Even though it was on... (read full)

2/4  Atonement
For some reason I cannot see what all of the fuss was about when this movie first came out. The only thing that it had going for it was that Kiera Knightley was in it. The cinematography was amazing though and the sets were halfway decent.... (read full)

4/4  Atonement Quick Review
Wow! This is one of the bests films I've ever seen. The direction and photography are absolutely fantastics. This is pure poetry on screen. The story moves on and you want to see more and more. Just loved it!

3/4  Atonement Quick Review
Not a movie I would normally watch, but I found it to be pretty good - especially the first half. Many of the characters feel average but the story and cinematography make up for other shortcomings.

2/4  Atonement Quick Review
Only thing the movie had going for it was that it had great cinematography and I loved the music but I never got attached to any of the characters and was just left feeling bored

2/4  Atonement Quick Review
Atonement in many ways reminded me of The English Patient. Technically stunning (the single shot tracking sequence on Dunkirk beach was audacious) yet almost emotionally impenetrable. Hollow.

3/4  Atonement Quick Review
I liked this movie a lot and found Keira Knightley completely irresistible. The story was good and the ending had some nice twists that I thought added to the movie. Overall, a solid movie -- a great date movie perhaps.

3/4  Atonement Quick Review
A solid movie with some good performances. It was maybe a little bit too much like Cold Mountain, which I thought was better. Still, the romance and situation make it stand out some. Not worthy of the Best Picture winner for the Globes.

4/5 Atonement: The Beautiful Tragedy
  by E. Hibbard (Seattle, WA USA)
Atonement was one of the first movies in a long time to move me to tears. Keira Knightley and James McAvoy play Cecilia and Robbie, and young couple in love doomed to have their blossoming love torn to shreds because of a misunderstanding. The story is told mostly through the eyes of Briony, an overly imaginative 13-year-old who ruins her sister's life as well as her own because of this misunderstanding.

The script to Atonement is fabulous, and all of the characters are cast perfectly. Knightley has definitely showed that she has matured since the awful Pirates movies, and James McAvoy is so devastatingly adorable that you can't NOT love him. the cinematography was outstanding; the whole movie glowed in the typical Joe Wright fashion. I truly believe it should have one best movie the year it came out.

My only complaint: the unrealistic idea that such drastic changes occurred over the course of a few hours. Otherwise, the movie was perfection.

5/5 I really like the movie.
  by Movie Watcher (Utah)
This is a good movie. It didn't end how I would have liked, but it was still very good.

5/5 Intelligent Writing, Suspenseful, Romantic
  by Wendy Lee
Great writing. It has all the elements of life! Definitely for the thinking person.

1/5 Rubbish !!
  by Dr. Watson
I can't believe that I actually paid money for this junk! It has no plot, no character development, and a sad sorry ending, not to mention the historical mistakes in the content. The film includes several historical inaccuracies. Soldiers at Dunkirk are heard singing the Vera Lynn song The White Cliffs of Dover despite the fact that the song was not written until the following year. At Dunkirk, references are made to the loss of life caused by the sinking of The Lancastria, another event which had yet to occur. Additionally, the film indicates that Robbie served with the 1st Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, in France; in fact, the 1st Battalion was not part of the BEF, although the regiment's 2nd Battalion did participate in the Battle of France.

There is no real storyline....the plot is thin as soup, and the two main characters are not allowed to fully develop themselves on screen. I found the ending so ludicrous, as if the viewing public is suppose to accept this trash. The dialog is meaningless as the ending is pointless. All the hype for this movie, that some film critics admired? No romance, happy ending here. Just a lukewarm, dismal motion picture, with scenery better than the actors and dialog. Don't waste your time or money....it's pure rubbish!!


5/5 Romance/based on true events
  by Rose Lee (Rome Italy)
Very beautiful . The writer courage to go thru all those sad events of her own life is amazing.
It must have been a relief for her to write about it.
The movie is very good too.