Atonement (DVD, 2008, Widescreen)

There is more than one atonement in this movie.

Taking place before and during WWII in England, it begins with an uppercrust English family with 3 children. Leon and Cecilia (Keira Knightley) are grown but living at home. Briony is young (about 10 or 11) and already a budding novelist. Briony accidentally walks in the library and sees Cecilia having sex with the young gardener Robbie(James McAvoy) after she has already spied them in a compromising position in a water fountain and after she has delivered a lewd note from Robbie to Cecilia. Briony is horrified about all of this. And she exposes Robbie for another crime that later takes place--even though she knows that he did not cause it. This is the first and main atonement.

The second atonement is Robbie's penance for sending the lewd note by mistake. He had typed the lewd note and handwritten a more appropriate love note to Cecilia but accidentally sent her the lewd one. Because of this one mistake, he experiences prison and wartime in France during WWII.

This tragic love story is beautifully photographed and lovingly scored. In fact it won the Oscar for Best Scoring and was nominated for Best Picture. It would have been a much better choice for Best Picture than the one that won ("No Country for Old Men").

There are three actresses playing Briony, as she is really the main character, and she grows to old age in the movie. Two unknowns--Saoire Ronan and Romolai Garai--play her as a child and young adult, and Vanessa Redgrave appears at the end of the movie to explain the finale. The similarity among the three is extraordinary. An award for makeup and casting should have been given.

This movie is wonderfully entertaining. There are also 2 special features that tell how it was made and review the plot. Very good viewing!

Brilliant motion picture with superb acting, photograpy and a spellbinding plot. Clearly one of the best pictures of the year (my vote for best picture) and one of the more interesting and gripping pictures I have seen in the past several years. Vanessa Redgrave's brief appearance/acting was stellar. Flawless casting and acting all around. Knightly's performance was strong and credible, and I thought this was her best performance to date. McAvoy is lining up as the frontrunner on the next generation of great British actors. Saoirse Ronan and Romola Garai really pulled off their characterizations in spectacular fashion, making one believe they were the same person at different ages. The Dunkirk sequence (no cuts on a long walk through the beach area and townside is a cinematic marvel -- so much has to go right to do a sequence like that, and everything went right. I was really expecting another routine movie drama and I am very impressed with the whole effort. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a serious motion picture. Only negative was the frequent use of the F-word. The script would have been stronger without it.

This movie made me cry. I loved it from the first time that I saw it. The twist at the end was truly a huge turning point in the whole movie. I would recomend this movie to anyone that I know or will know in the future. It amazes me that the stupid things we say when we are young can affect the lives of so many for so long. It is always something that I keep in the back of my mind now. The visuals and soundtrack are stunning. The story is very well written and actualized. A very talented cast round out this great production. I hope you enjoy this movie as much as I have and will!

Atonement - WOW! Great movie...I can't watch it again..Why? you ask? Go buy it, rent it, borrow it, see it and you will know! I compare it to The Titanic Movie (Dicaprio, Winslet) - tragic love story, I am the kind of person that saw the Titanic ONCE and could not watch it again, I feel the same about this movie - great movie, the chemistry between actors McAvoy and Knightly was spot on, but OMG, I can not watch that again...I am out of Kleenex!!! So, if you are that kind of person that saw the Titanic 257 times, than this is the movie for you, buy it! If you are like me and can not watch the Titanic again, rent Atonement or borrow it from someone and save your $20. Just make sure you have your Kleenex handy...

When young Briony Tallis sees and hears something she doesn't understand, it starts in motion a series of events that would have profound effects on many lives, especially that of her sister Cecilia and her sister's would-be lover, Robbie. Briony spends her whole life making good on the error of that fateful day, which is set in World War II era Britain. Excellent performances by James McAvoy, Keira Knightley and Sairose Ronan make the movie, although only Ronan was deemed worth of an Oscar nod, but no win. She shouldn't feel bad as the director wasn't even nominated, but should have been, the scenes of war-torn Europe including a spectacular panoramic beach scene at France are worth the price of the movie. There is something for everyone here, even though it's touted as a romance, it's much more than a classic "chick flick" And for the Keira fans like me, the scene with Knightley in the green dress, goes down as one of the iconic cinematic images of the 21st century, for me anyway. Whoa! Buy it. 8/10

The film starts off as a slow-burn, finely honed British ensemble piece in the best tradition of classic cinema. Little by little, however, the whole thing begins to assume greater weight as the canvas expands, and what starts out as a rather typical English country yarn turns into a piece of almost epic proportions.
A stunning looking Keira Knightley turns in a fine performance, as do the rest of the cast. Particularly impressive was the later adult casting for the childrens' roles, which lent a high degree of credibilty to to the film.
The production was altogether faultless, from the very typical interiors of the period to the devastating war damage.
If you love well paced, finely acted English drama on the big screen this is definitely one to go for.

Like many of 2007's Best Picture nominees at the Academy Awards, "Atonement" strays from fairness and light into the gritty dimness of realism. Director Joe Wright delivers a period love story that includes all the hellishness of war.

The cast, from superstars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy to relative unknowns Saoirse Ronan and Romola Garai (who both portray Briony), plum the deepest reserves of emotion to deliver standout performances. Film buffs, too, can watch for Wright's masterful direction, including a five-minute-plus tracking shot along Dunkirk Beach.

"Atonement" was nominated for, and won, Best Score, and rightly so. Composer Dario Marianelli integrates a typewriter into the music — likely one of the most inspired musical choices in decades.

Did "Atonement" deserve Best Picture? For all its laudable characteristics, the film does have its flaws, including the final act, which seems to take the viewer completely out of the action. In this case, the film's nomination was its prize, and surely one that will make the film memorable for years to come.

Although the movie begins rather slowly setting the stage for upcoming events, it is exceptional. The acting is absolutely brilliant and the photography magnificent. Having said all of that, there is yet more to come that I would love to say but I really don't want to spoil the ending of the movie for readers. All I can say is that this is one well worth buying and watching. Prepare yourself to sit and watch it all. It is going to prove to be a classic that can be watched over and over again.

This movie is great. I bought this movie because I have heard from several people how great it was. However, it is very confusing and hard to figure out. The characters, though they play their roles well, are sometimes very weird and it was not till the end of the movie that i finally understood everything. I had to do a lot of thinking throughout the movie. :) It is a very good movie though and I will be seeing it again.

What a disappointment. After watching the DVD's extras of interviews with the writer, screenwriter, director and producers, I can't help but wonder how their good intentions could go so awry. A little like the storyline.

Despite the lavish sets, spectacular cinematography, beautiful costumes and great acting, this is one slow, monotous story. The score and ra-ta-ta-tat typewriter build the only suspense. The most romantic moment of the film is the fantasy seaside scene at the end.

How sad...

~Tina

The DVD came exactly how they explained it. They shipped it very quickly, I was surprised to see how quickly I got the DVD. I was pleased with this seller, and I would buy from this sell again.

This a a great movie, we totally enjoyed it, although you have to pay close attention to it as for it has some strong accent to it, it did not end the way I thought is would but it too is a must see movie, for all of you out there that like a good love story, that has more then the love to it but a great storry line too, enjoy.

I rated this excellent. The film covers many different types of emotion,and makes you truly feel the pain of the characters. The dvd has excellent production value,and the extras are good. This film makes you want to jump in and tell everyone the truth about the situation. If you have the time to enjoy this film and stay with it then you will not be disappointed. great buy!

Beautifully filmed, great acting, good escapism movie. I loved it. It jumps around a bit but you can follow it if you try. I wasn't really crazy about the ending but it was fairly satisfactory.

Heard about this one from some friends who claimed that it was the best movie that they had seen in a long time. Boy, were they right!! Whether you like chick flicks or not, you will be a real man to take her to this one.

I saw this movie before and I loved it. I read the book and it was just as good. The movie was in great condition too.

i love this movie and happy with how quickly i got it...thank you :D it was an awesome price and in good condition

After seeing Atonement we thought "hey, we need to see this again; what happened there?," as most people have when they saw this movie. I love the storyline of this movie. The acting: superb. I decided to buy it when I was fortunate enough to find it on eBay at a fraction of the retail price. It is now home with us, in our dvd collection. When friends come to visit, or when there is 7 feet of snow outside we can go and pull Atonement out of our collection and have a great evening!!

great love story i loved it i would recommend this movie to all movie lovers this movie had me stuck on it threw the whole movie i didnt even get up once

my wife is very satisfy with this dvd..and she concidered it a classic. the descrition is apropiate for this item. and the audio is exelent.

Just an overall excellent movie. Wonderful, dialogue was captivating. Acting was superb. The story was agonizing though. The character did end up paying a terrible price for her foolish lie. Riveting

Great movie, although it has a slow start, the movie draws you in and by the end of the movie you are completely involved with the characters!

Beautifully shot and filmed story. I read the book (which, in my opinion, was SLOW) but the movie was VERY well done! I loved seeing it all come to life on the screen.

At first I did not know if I really enjoyed the movie, but the second time I watched it I fell in love with it. This movie is definitely worth buying and adding to your movie collection.