Posts
Keira Knightley and James McAvoy in "Atonment."By PHILIP WUNTCH
Film Critic Emeritus
The lavish, provocative "Atonement" probably will be cherished without qualification by those who haven't read Ian McEwan's revered best-seller. But a good percentage of those who have read the 2001 heart-breaker will also cherish the new film. More resistant types nonetheless will cheer director Joe Wright's sheer fortitude in visualizing Mr. McEwan's festival of words.
The enchanting movie is not without flaws, but its virtues are undeniable and reassuring, proving that modern technology doesn't necessarily rob moviegoers of an experience that speaks primarily to their hearts.
The sometimes circuitous plot begins in caste-conscious 1935 England and spins on three emotionally-charged characters. James McAvoy (of soulful eyes) plays Robbie Turner, the effortlessly charming, good-hearted son of the Tallis family's housekeeper. Keira Knightley (of exquisite bone structure) plays Cecilia Tallis, daughter of the proper, inevitably snobbish Tallis hierarchy. Solemn-faced Saoirse Ronan plays Cecilia's decade-younger sister Briony as a 13-year-old, while Romola Garai appears as the 18-year-old Briony.
Robbie lusts after Cecilia, and, after some petulant meditation, she admits to sharing his ardor. But he might just as well be Heathcliff yearning for Catherine Earnshaw. Although the Tallis clan treats him almost like a family member, the "almost" proves inflexible. Youthful Briony's misinterpretation of a tryst between Robbie and Cecilia perpetrates a tragedy with lingering after-effects. Briony is an aspiring writer with an active imagination combined with a teenager's natural desire for recognition and empowerment. Besides, she also has a mad crush on Robbie.
Mr. Wright, who directed Ms. Knightley in 2005's warmly received "Pride and Prejudice," remains a strong actor's director. Cecilia initially seems a remote character, perhaps a variation of the stereotyped patrician just itching for a little working-class sex. But Ms. Knightley, Mr. Wright and screenwriter Christopher Hampton invest her with all the layers that novelist McEwan intended, and she emerges a woman of passion, warmth, compassion and fragility.
Similarly, Mr. McAvoy makes the journey from ardent lover to bruised, embittered prisoner and soldier. His performance's urgency commands the viewer's sympathetic empathy. Ms. Ronan and Ms. Garai give compelling performances as the trouble-making Briony, and it's no stretch to watch the character grow from one actress to another.
The prestigious supporting cast also excels. As a dying older woman who knows all the secrets, Vanessa Redgrave performs with a heart-wrenching sense of wounded dignity. Brenda Blethyn also grabs your emotions as Robbie's loyal mother, while Benedict Cumberbatch consistently earns your contempt as an aristocrat too privileged to be trusted.
Yet Mr. Wright also exhibits a tendency for heavy-handed visual touches, such as Briony's scrubbing her hands as a symbolic gesture of expiation. Most noteworthy is a splendid tracking shot involving the evacuation of Dunkirk. Within itself, it's a superb piece of filmmaking. Yet it detracts from the personal drama of Robbie, Cecilia and Briony.
Mr. McEwan's plot contrivances are more noticeable on screen than on page. Evidence of Lillian Hellman's "The Children's Hour" infiltrate the film's first half, while the second half's storytelling technique carries a trace of "The Sixth Sense." One pivotal plot development even recalls Elizabeth Goudge's pennydreadful "Green Dolphin Street," made into a 1947 Lana Turner flick frequently shown on Turner Classic Movies.
But not to worry. "Atonement" is superior to "The Children's Hour" and towers about "Green Dolphin Street." It is, in fact, one of the year's best. Yes, it has the deceptive initial appearance of a genteel Merchant-Ivory film, but these characters definitely enjoy a roll in the hay.
THIS AND THAT: The tragic mall rampage in Omaha, Neb., brought back a chilling memory of my interview with Alexander Payne when "About Schmidt" opened. Jack Nicholson played an Omaha retiree in that film, and talented filmmaker Payne, who also directed "Sideways" and "Election," returns to his Nebraska hometown when not filming. He explained: "Everything that you think could happen in New York or L.A. could happen in Omaha. There are fewer people, but you'll see the same mix of humanity there. There are law-abiding citizens, high-spirited free-thinkers, so-called straight-as-arrow folk and some real crazies."
Out of nowhere, Frank Langella is coming up at the top of some critic groups' year-end bests. His performance as a washed-up author in "Starting Out in the Evening" could strike a chord with some writers who think, "There but for the grace of God ...." Also gaining momentum with critics' trophies are George Clooney's conscience-stricken political "fixer" in "Michael Clayton" and Amy Ryan's down-'n'-dirty momma in "Gone Baby Gone." The most influential critics group, the New York Film Critics Circle, announces their victors today (Monday).
Johnny Depp's performance as "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is also earning the kind of kudos that hint at Oscar potential. His singing voice, reportedly, is far more than just passable. Meanwhile, he's signed on to play another demon, '30s mobster John Dillinger, in "Public Enemies." Michael Mann ("Collateral," "The Insider," "Heat") directs.
Film Critic Emeritus
The lavish, provocative "Atonement" probably will be cherished without qualification by those who haven't read Ian McEwan's revered best-seller. But a good percentage of those who have read the 2001 heart-breaker will also cherish the new film. More resistant types nonetheless will cheer director Joe Wright's sheer fortitude in visualizing Mr. McEwan's festival of words.
The enchanting movie is not without flaws, but its virtues are undeniable and reassuring, proving that modern technology doesn't necessarily rob moviegoers of an experience that speaks primarily to their hearts.
The sometimes circuitous plot begins in caste-conscious 1935 England and spins on three emotionally-charged characters. James McAvoy (of soulful eyes) plays Robbie Turner, the effortlessly charming, good-hearted son of the Tallis family's housekeeper. Keira Knightley (of exquisite bone structure) plays Cecilia Tallis, daughter of the proper, inevitably snobbish Tallis hierarchy. Solemn-faced Saoirse Ronan plays Cecilia's decade-younger sister Briony as a 13-year-old, while Romola Garai appears as the 18-year-old Briony.
Robbie lusts after Cecilia, and, after some petulant meditation, she admits to sharing his ardor. But he might just as well be Heathcliff yearning for Catherine Earnshaw. Although the Tallis clan treats him almost like a family member, the "almost" proves inflexible. Youthful Briony's misinterpretation of a tryst between Robbie and Cecilia perpetrates a tragedy with lingering after-effects. Briony is an aspiring writer with an active imagination combined with a teenager's natural desire for recognition and empowerment. Besides, she also has a mad crush on Robbie.
Mr. Wright, who directed Ms. Knightley in 2005's warmly received "Pride and Prejudice," remains a strong actor's director. Cecilia initially seems a remote character, perhaps a variation of the stereotyped patrician just itching for a little working-class sex. But Ms. Knightley, Mr. Wright and screenwriter Christopher Hampton invest her with all the layers that novelist McEwan intended, and she emerges a woman of passion, warmth, compassion and fragility.
Similarly, Mr. McAvoy makes the journey from ardent lover to bruised, embittered prisoner and soldier. His performance's urgency commands the viewer's sympathetic empathy. Ms. Ronan and Ms. Garai give compelling performances as the trouble-making Briony, and it's no stretch to watch the character grow from one actress to another.
The prestigious supporting cast also excels. As a dying older woman who knows all the secrets, Vanessa Redgrave performs with a heart-wrenching sense of wounded dignity. Brenda Blethyn also grabs your emotions as Robbie's loyal mother, while Benedict Cumberbatch consistently earns your contempt as an aristocrat too privileged to be trusted.
Yet Mr. Wright also exhibits a tendency for heavy-handed visual touches, such as Briony's scrubbing her hands as a symbolic gesture of expiation. Most noteworthy is a splendid tracking shot involving the evacuation of Dunkirk. Within itself, it's a superb piece of filmmaking. Yet it detracts from the personal drama of Robbie, Cecilia and Briony.
Mr. McEwan's plot contrivances are more noticeable on screen than on page. Evidence of Lillian Hellman's "The Children's Hour" infiltrate the film's first half, while the second half's storytelling technique carries a trace of "The Sixth Sense." One pivotal plot development even recalls Elizabeth Goudge's pennydreadful "Green Dolphin Street," made into a 1947 Lana Turner flick frequently shown on Turner Classic Movies.
But not to worry. "Atonement" is superior to "The Children's Hour" and towers about "Green Dolphin Street." It is, in fact, one of the year's best. Yes, it has the deceptive initial appearance of a genteel Merchant-Ivory film, but these characters definitely enjoy a roll in the hay.
THIS AND THAT: The tragic mall rampage in Omaha, Neb., brought back a chilling memory of my interview with Alexander Payne when "About Schmidt" opened. Jack Nicholson played an Omaha retiree in that film, and talented filmmaker Payne, who also directed "Sideways" and "Election," returns to his Nebraska hometown when not filming. He explained: "Everything that you think could happen in New York or L.A. could happen in Omaha. There are fewer people, but you'll see the same mix of humanity there. There are law-abiding citizens, high-spirited free-thinkers, so-called straight-as-arrow folk and some real crazies."
Out of nowhere, Frank Langella is coming up at the top of some critic groups' year-end bests. His performance as a washed-up author in "Starting Out in the Evening" could strike a chord with some writers who think, "There but for the grace of God ...." Also gaining momentum with critics' trophies are George Clooney's conscience-stricken political "fixer" in "Michael Clayton" and Amy Ryan's down-'n'-dirty momma in "Gone Baby Gone." The most influential critics group, the New York Film Critics Circle, announces their victors today (Monday).
Johnny Depp's performance as "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is also earning the kind of kudos that hint at Oscar potential. His singing voice, reportedly, is far more than just passable. Meanwhile, he's signed on to play another demon, '30s mobster John Dillinger, in "Public Enemies." Michael Mann ("Collateral," "The Insider," "Heat") directs.
No comments:
Post a Comment