Atonement
Starring James McAvoy, Keira Knightly, and Saoirse Ronan
Directed by Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice)
Rated R for disturbing war images, language and some sexuality
Appropriate for ages 17+
Available March 18, 2008 on DVD and HD-DVD
This World War 2 romance was the most Oscarly of the selections nominated this year, but maybe that was a strike against it. At least it very deservingly won the Golden Globe. The tragic story of two lovers that were torn apart by a lie told by a confused girl followed by the grown girl trying to atone for what she did is beautifully portrayed here by a visionary director and flawless acting from it’s cast. I’ve seen the film five times now and still cry every time. The special features include some unnecessary deleted scenes and a terrific doc showing how the film came to be. What is most fascinating is how the evacuation to Dunkerque was assembled into a five-minute-long continuous shot with over a thousand extras perfectly choreographed. It’s one of the most tremendous scenes to ever be put on film. Although HD-DVD is going away, there is an HD-DVD version that is well worth the investment.