Atonement

The interpretation is so painstaking and moving that almost every moment delivers a shuddering jolt to the head and the heart.

This is one of the year's best films, a certain best picture nominee.

Nothing in Joe Wright's screen version of Ian McEwan's dense, internalized 2001 novel of secrets and lies should really work, but damn near everything does. It's some kind of miracle. Written, directed and acted to perfection, Atonement sweeps you up on waves of humor, heartbreak and ravishing romance.

In the end, Atonement sorts truth from fiction as it delivers a shattering kick to the solar plexus.

A handsome film, an earnest film, a film with taste in music and photography and a real sense of intelligence. But too often it feels like an exercise. And even when you're impressed by it, you know you're being played.

Wright wouldn't recognize unobtrusive if it tapped him on the nose--he's cross- pollinated the first half of Atonement into an Oscar-buzzy brew of Masterpiece Theatre and "Upstairs, Downstairs," with the wild English countryside tamed into an artfully lit fairy glade, and into just enough of a bodice-ripper to reel in the youth market. And not a bad one at that.

Imagine if the team that made "The English Patient" tried to make the same kind of movie, with even more brave-lads-fighting-the-Jerries porn and this time with Extra Added English country manor porn, and without really good actors, and this movie is what you’d have.

A romantic drama that shows that nothing can be done in the past in the present. Spectacular performances, a very emotional soundtrack, the cinematography stands out excellent (especially for the Dunkirk beach scene), the scenery and costumes are very remarkable and the direction of Joe Wright is excellent. For me, it is one of his best works that the director managed to do, and in fact it is one of his best films and for me it is his best masterpiece.

Really kicks off great and has wonderful direction. Loses a lot of its steam for me in the middle Robbie war sequences (except the incredible Dunkirk scene).

Atonement is a classic British film. A good cast, an interesting tie, and then a boring narrative and another dull ending follow. James McAvoy played his role perfectly.

Hated this movie. I was surprised at how awful it was considering how much I normally love the actors. Skip this movie. I rarely disagree with my favorite critic, Wall Street Journal's Morgenstern, but I can't see any redeeming qualities in this film

Atonement is a slow, boring and un-compelling film with not a single character that was remotely interesting. Nothing came to life and that's mainly to blame from poor storytelling.