Atonement is commendable

Hi film buffs,

I happened to watch this Keira Knightly starrer "Atonement" last saturday. I should say, it was a pleasant film. Not every adaptation of a novel turns out to be a nightmare, this film proves it yet again, after its successful predecessors like Ron Howard's adaptation of Dan Brown's classic last year, and also another Kiera Knightly starrer which was an adaptation of a famous novel titled 'Pride and Prejudice'. This film directed by Joe Wright , stands out, though not as an evergreen classic, but definitely as a stand alone pleasant film. The film is a sincere adaptation of the classic literary work. Knightly has essayed the role of the year. She is becoming a better actress with every film of hers, right from her Carribean days. Everything about this film felt off putting, but the film’s fatal mistake is that instead of focusing it on, you know the great love of the rich society girl Cecilia and her poor handyman Robbie who apparently went to college because Cecilia’s father paid for it. It would have been nice to have at least a little back story on Robbie’s relationship with the family. The first hour of the film is told almost entirely from the point of view of Briony. But even that didn’t fit the dour tone of this piece. I realize these people are the super rich and live in a world that we don’t inhabit but it simply didn’t match the material. It should have looked grimy not sweepingly lush with gorgeous bright colors. These people are supposedly super rich, but they are moving through life as though they are on Prozac and there’s no explanation or external conflict in the film that explains why these people seemed to be permanently depressed and lifeless. Director Joe Wright fails to give this film any sense of urgency or pacing. The film is worth the watch for merely its extravagance.