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Atonement

Atonement

2007
Romance, Drama
2h 3m
A British romance that spans several decades. Fledgling writer Briony Tallis, as a 13-year-old, irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit. (imdb)
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Atonement

2007
Romance, Drama
2h 3m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 59.23% from 5472 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(5471)
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Rated 07 May 2020
93
75th
Not at all the sappy romance film I thought it would be. All of the performances are good, but McAvoy was my favorite performer. It's all so beautifully filmed and made. That continuous shot was awesome. I also like that it jumps around a bit with the time line to keep things moving at a great pace. The first act is kind of slow, but after that, the movie picks up and never stops for a minute. Definitely recommended.
Rated 02 Jan 2008
65
76th
Well, this turned out to be better than I thought in the beginning. The perception camera going throughout the movie with added memory recall effect makes a solid ground. The unavoidable spiral of events makes it worthwhile a story. A pleasant crowd grabber.
Rated 03 Mar 2008
55
40th
Starts pretty well but after the crime has happened it jumps few years ahead in time and the downfall begins. By the time it gets to the ending it has managed to ruin everything good the first part did.
Rated 07 Sep 2008
85
89th
A riveting and touching story that comes with some very beautiful pictures. An excellently chosen cast which is led especially by James McAvoy. Saoirse Ronan also delivers a great performance. Moreover, sound and score are simply marvelous.
Rated 16 Jan 2008
4
70th
Impressive; an extremely good period romance with some fine performances and a very creative script (though the credit for that, I suppose, must be given to the novel - I haven't read it) that, in its nonlinear style of storytelling, gives the story emotional heft by revealing previously hidden aspects and doubling back to show different perspectives. The ending is inspired.
Rated 19 Apr 2008
81
87th
It's good. The first half I found to be relatively forgettable, but then halfway through, there's this AMAZING tracking shot, (seriously it's beautiful, one of the best shots I've ever seen), and something in me clicked right there, or maybe the movie just picked up a lot, but it started to get really good. Its a sad story, shown in a beautiful way.
Rated 28 Oct 2012
62
73rd
The first half was pretty strong I thought.So was the cinematography (throughout). But the second half felt somewhat over-sentimental and manipulative.The ending could have been interesting but fell flat. Performances were decent (rather liked Saoirse).
Rated 14 Nov 2007
89
93rd
Joe Wright is irritatingly talented and innovative.
Rated 05 Jan 2008
70
62nd
At times brilliant. I just wish that it didn't get so bogged down with Venessa Redgrave explaining the "message" to the audience.
Rated 17 Jan 2008
55
30th
A British crowd-pleaser with American production value, this interesting film deserved a better director. It does a fine job on a technical level, and has some flourishes of directorial wit, but they're contrived and random. All of it just doesn't sum up to an artistic whole, or some kind of identity or world view that isn't the original book author's.
Rated 24 Feb 2008
66
28th
Okay at best. The story contains a couple of interesting twists, but doesn't really explore its themes very well. I only cared about Briony; Cecilia and Robbie were very bland characters portrayed by very bland actors. The scenes of Robbie in France were largely unnecessary. I liked the ending, but I thought it was a dreadful choice to have Redgrave spell it out so plainly. The score was horribly overbearing and Knightley's style of rapid mumbling can be difficult to comprehend.
Rated 14 Mar 2008
77
51st
A great first hour is followed by a rather clumsy 40 minutes and a misfire of an ending. The performances are very good as is the direction, both of which keep you watching while the movie completely loses focus in the second half. While the ending could have been interesting the way it's presented makes it feel very manipulative, with an overbearing score and very slow blatant exposition.
Rated 18 May 2008
40
8th
The storytelling was creative, but the only character I really cared about was Briony. I get frustrated with movies that seem to need characters to do an excessive number of foolish things just to make the plot work, and that was the case here. And while the celebrated long shot was certainly a technical achievement, it was out of place and showy, taking me out of the film completely--though I was already on my way out by that point.
Rated 20 Dec 2008
87
91st
One of the bests of '07. Although story flows slowly and there are some problems in script, it's still great piece of art. Cinematography is amazing, Saoirse Ronan is amazing, story is fascinating.. Even Keira is great! It was such a shame that Joe Wright wasn't nominated in Academy Awards last year. I really liked it, however I doubt that most of the people do so..
Rated 25 Apr 2010
2
0th
Spoiler: Personally I wouldn't believe the old lady at the end when she says she's dying, and this last book she wrote is a true story. Since the whole movie before that was about her lies.
Rated 05 Jan 2008
70
37th
A tad too long....but Keira Knightely and James McAvoy are sexy as hell. God I love awkward, repressed British sexuality!
Rated 05 Jan 2008
7
67th
The tracking scene at Dunkirk is fantastic.
Rated 06 Jan 2008
80
93rd
Brilliant! Plenty to admire on screen and plenty to think about, even after the film is over.
Rated 06 Feb 2008
92
88th
Joe Wright gets it done right for the first time in his career with Atonement. It's an incredibly well-shot and well-edited film with some of the most beautiful backdrops and locations I've seen in a long time. It has been years since there was a period romance that was of this quality. There's really nothing but gold here. If you're looking for the year's best, this may very well take the prize come Oscar time. It's simply a remarkable movie that I recommend wholeheartedly.
Rated 21 Feb 2008
82
89th
In one of the best movies of 2007. Dramatically emotional and sensible... Atonement, director Joe Wright's masterwork. An excellent production...
Rated 03 Mar 2008
64
37th
The cinematography is great, but the script, which already has some weak points early on, just gets worse as the movie goes on and the ending is bad and out of style.
Rated 14 Mar 2008
86
87th
A pleasant surprise given its packaged a bit like stuffy boring Oscar-bait a la English Patient. The long shot of the beach at Dunkirk rivals the war scene in Children of Men in terms of technical accomplishments -- everything about this movie is top shelf, from the cinematography to the score, and especially the acting. Wright flashes a strong directorial prowess, and the ending packs an unforgettable punch. It's a clear runner-up in a strong year, but definitely not to be missed.
Rated 22 Mar 2008
50
15th
That eight hour tracking shot was one of the best naps I've ever teken.
Rated 05 May 2008
91
96th
A beautiful period drama about the love between a rich girl and her family servant's son, and her younger sister's lie that tears their lives apart, and how their love survives against all odds through spite and war. Its a beautiful film, definitely recommended for owning on DVD.
Rated 27 May 2008
85
97th
Highly recommend watching this. Great performance by the lead actors, especially Saoirse Ronan as the 13 year old Briony Tallis. What one person sees with their own eyes does not necessarily make it true, and Atonement does a marvelous job depicting this.
Rated 20 Jun 2008
7
68th
The first half was excellent but it really falls apart at the end. The script needed major rewrites but goddamn if it isn't a pretty thing to look at. Also, Keira Knightley acts as well as a board.
Rated 21 Jul 2008
75
62nd
Doesn't half go on a bit. I can see why this got so many rave reviews, and there's some breathtaking cinematography going on, but the story, while being tragically romantic, doesn't really go anywhere that I wanted to go, or that I didn't kind of expect.
Rated 03 Sep 2008
74
36th
Enthralling first half; boring, meandering (one of the most excruciating - in the try-to-keep-from-dozing-off sense - war-is-hell scenes in cinema) plodding and heavy-handed second half. A film that asks the audiences to remain interested in a story about a grown woman flagellating herself for a lie she made as a child and the couple who still hate her for it. It all makes sense, mind you, it's just more than a little tiresome. Sh-t happens and little kids tell lies. What are you gonna do?
Rated 14 Sep 2008
5
28th
I would like to say this film petered out, but I can't honestly say it ever picked up enough to peter out in the end.
Rated 04 Oct 2008
95
97th
Epic yet intimate, 'Atonement' is a both timeless and haunting dissection of the hardship of passion, the many faces of truth and the quest for redemption. Though technically flawless - in particular the stunning cinematography, score and costumes could all be viewed as separate pieces of first class art - the shiniest gem is the truly spectacular Saoirse Ronan providing the breakthrough of the decade.
Rated 27 Oct 2008
61
42nd
Feels like Titanic-lite. The beginning 45 minutes sets up what could be a really strong love story, but then there was really nothing exciting about the rest of the movie to keep my attention.
Rated 25 Dec 2008
82
81st
After the pretty, albiet slow and boring, first half hour, it picks up and enters an actual plot. The middle and end are even more-so dazzling and beautiful and by the end I even began to appreciate the beginning. Had this movie actually has war scenes in it, included war-fare it would have been rated much better. As it stands it is beautiful, but not quite the depiction the era and place deserves.
Rated 05 Jan 2009
7
76th
Too boring, but I don't mind - the heartbreaking Elegy for Dunkirk by Dario Mariannelli made the long shot on the beach undoubtedly the best cinematic moment for 2007.
Rated 24 Aug 2010
90
88th
The cinematography in the first act is brilliant however its a bit slow paced and cant give us the full foresight of whats to come. (it still has one of the best `i love you` - `i love you` scenes I`ve ever seen in my life) Then comes the second and last acts which are truly moving and powerful. The 4-5 minutes single shot on the beach is truly impressive. Nice to see Vanessa Redgrave at the end but I`d rather prefer she didn't summarize the whole movie`s message in `Atonement for Dummies` style
Rated 13 Feb 2011
30
17th
I really didn't like Atonement. It was one of the more disappointing films that I've seen, and I didn't even know anything about it going in, meaning I didn't set my expectations very high. It was just a really poor film. The story was boring, the ending angered me, and the characters were dull and unlikable. Almost nothing of the film was of any worth, and save for the one scene that Vanessa Redgrave, I was completely bored while watching it.
Rated 14 Sep 2012
73
67th
A pretty film with a actually a good performance of Knightly. Some really beautiful shots, like the one on the beach is quite impressive. I wanted to watch this movie when I read my grampa's diary, during the time when he was in the army. He wrote some things in a very casual manner, when it's actually quite shocking. Unfortunately this movie is more based around romance, and not much of the war itself. Still it gave me a good impression of how it might've been
Rated 17 Sep 2012
74
49th
Knightley stunning as always. Mcvoy doing the job. Nice but sometimes irritating soundtrack. Nice pictures, sometimes reminded me of J.S Sargent paintings, and sometimes of Monnet. Not a must see, but definitly entertaining.
Rated 14 Oct 2016
71
53rd
Well made film, but it feels a bit artificial or fabricated. The acting and the script could and should have been better for this to truly be a good film, though I wouldn't say it's a bad film.
Rated 23 Sep 2017
28
19th
This was a disappointing film. It's full of tricks, using time-shifts, an impressively long tracking shot, multiple actors in the same role and, significantly, a typewriter in the soundtrack to underscore the power-relations between film-makers and film audience. In a film that's main plot point hinges on the British class system (or does it?), this surely seems profound--except it seemed annoyingly facile.
Rated 16 Sep 2020
55
32nd
Sets up nicely in the first half, but the second half strikes a completely different tone with a much slower pacing. It’s not the most enjoyable, but it’s well made, well acted (including a career starting performance from Ronan), and most notably in my opinion, it has a very interesting and unique score.
Rated 14 Dec 2022
72
85th
ben bunu niye beğenir gibi oldum. abartılı tesadüfler olmasa harbi taş gibi film.
Rated 10 Nov 2007
80
64th
10 Kasim 07 - galeria, 3.salon, 14:15.en arkanin ilk iki koltugu.ozdenle birlikte.el ele! . filmin kurgusu degisik, cesur bir film.
Rated 22 Nov 2007
94
93rd
Very aestethic movie about an unresolved issue.
Rated 15 Dec 2007
85
58th
Everybody's raving, but I don't know... The final "apologist" premise just didn't cut it for me. James McAvoy is my favorite new actor of the past year, but if you want to see his better performance, catch BECOMING JANE, with a very fetching Anne Hathaway...
Rated 17 Dec 2007
92
99th
A film which provokes all the emotions. You want to laugh, cry, cheer, scream and probably slap Briony. The ending was one of my most memorable. Vanessa Redgrave was simply amazing. She captured all the pain, regret and guilt Briony's carried throughout her life and every word uttered had such meaning. Definitely lingers long after viewing.
Rated 17 Dec 2007
50
33rd
So what?
Rated 26 Dec 2007
78
83rd
A beautiful, excellently acted film, though sometimes it became a tad overdramatic. But could a woman REALLY have the exact same hairstyle her entire life? That bothered me to no end.
Rated 29 Dec 2007
70
51st
The first act is a masterpiece. The rest, your standard, typical period romantic piece.
Rated 04 Jan 2008
50
30th
James McAvoy is great, Kiera Knightley is as wooden as usual.
Rated 06 Jan 2008
88
83rd
Wrenching, captivating, beautiful, masterful and any number of adjectives you want to call it, this is a brilliant film. Doesn't hold up very well to additional viewings, although the visual element remains impeccable.
Rated 08 Jan 2008
79
85th
Sad movie.
Rated 13 Jan 2008
77
74th
The heated drama takes a bit to get into, but Wright has directed a headstrong adaptation with solid performances across the board. The time shifts forward and backward sometimes confuse rather than further the story in seeing multiple points of view and the romance between McAvoy and Knightley feels a bit distant at times for this kind of film, but by the end it's a passionate and heartbreaking film.
Rated 13 Jan 2008
98
98th
Very good history, the end is touching. Words are so very well written by the young girl until the end of her days. James McAvory looks like younger Russell Crowe and the love scene is so gorgeous.
Rated 14 Jan 2008
80
44th
An incredibly moving story with terrific performances all around and a very unique ending. It deserves attention as one of the best films of 2007, with a CHILDREN OF MEN-esque tracking shot that must've taken months to prepare.
Rated 14 Jan 2008
87
67th
Beautifully made and touching - it even got me a little teary-eyed - but a masterpiece it still is not. It feels epic in plenty of places and the work of everyone involved is masterful in itself... the movie just isn't the best of the crowded year. Don't miss it, though. It's still great.
Rated 20 Jan 2008
85
70th
It starts off pretty bland, but as it progresses it gets much better. The story as a whole is great, and the way it's told keeps your attention. Technically its absolutely wonderful, there's a spectacular long cut and the ending is extremely powerful.I think this is a romance story that everyone can enjoy.
Rated 21 Jan 2008
40
14th
4- might want to skip this one, not that hot :: overly manipulative and orchestrated
Rated 28 Jan 2008
75
57th
The first half of the movie dragged and was unimpressive. However, the film came around in the second half with performances that really pulled at the heart.
Rated 29 Jan 2008
40
16th
Boring period piece that is simple Oscar fodder. If you want to see a film that tries way too hard to win awards rather than be thought-provoking or emotional, as it tries to be, then this is your choice. Garbage.
Rated 29 Jan 2008
55
11th
I only liked the long war scene. This film has lots of mistakes about telling story or i hate movies like that. Ok, I like English Patient, Cold Mountain etc. I tolerate "The Notebook" but It's 2007, same shit.When are they going to stop filming this kind? and.. Keira Knightley was unlovely.
Rated 07 Feb 2008
85
89th
It is still great. The first act is the strongest, and the last the weakest, but all of it is carried by the beautiful score.
Rated 12 Feb 2008
72
73rd
A quite well told, non-banal story, even if it's not among the most memorable films I've seen.
Rated 15 Feb 2008
77
77th
The beginning 45 minutes is a perfect movie! Story is oozing sex. Every single frame contains tons of loaded (undergrowing) sexuality. Mostly from the point of view of 13-year-old girl who does not know much about it. And it leads her thoughts in to the totally wrong tracks. The latter half of the movie is extented to the booring limits. Except nearly ten minutes long continious camera drive through the battle field!
Rated 18 Feb 2008
77
41st
A truly bizarre attempt to turn a very intimate story of three people into a full scale epic. The film was obviously extremely expensive, even though at least half of it doesn't advance the storyline or present any new ideas whatsoever. There are some fine moments and shots, mostly at the beginning, but I despise the pointlessly baroque opulence of the whole thing. And don't even get me started about the final twist.
Rated 19 Feb 2008
80
70th
Pretty standard romance start but turns into a dark moving morality story. Excellent production values.
Rated 22 Feb 2008
76
37th
expected much more
Rated 24 Feb 2008
90
97th
Brilliant. The one-take towards the end is impressive but it's the romance stuff in the first act that makes this great film so special.
Rated 24 Feb 2008
80
60th
A cruel and interesting story, not easy one
Rated 07 Mar 2008
81
65th
Looks amazing, story is only okay. I think it's overrated.
Rated 07 Mar 2008
60
53rd
The greatest attribute of any artist is sensitivity and subcontex, and artistry is the primary focus of this film. Beneath the film's brilliant aesthetic and innovative time sequence is a wooden and platitudinous estimation of guilt and atonement. The novel's subtle understanding of small things and their emotional gravity does not translate with the emphasis placed on the technical contrivances. The result is less than haunting.
Rated 07 Mar 2008
60
58th
Moody & at times slow, which is fine for the picture. The most interesting thing there is the idea. The fact that the story is told out of sequence for no particular reason is frustrating. 6 months earlier than 4 years later? Please. The reiteration works better.
Rated 08 Mar 2008
20
22nd
Atonement: The watch Kiery Knightley smoke movie. Drags on at the beginning, jumps about in the middle, can't decide which character to focus on in the second half, assumes the audience won't get the message so throws in a convenient "explain the point" scene, and then ties it up with a shallow ending. Meh.
Rated 08 Mar 2008
80
16th
I'm torn rating this; I'd give the first half a much higher rating than the second (probably 92 / 70). Hence the happy middle ground.
Rated 13 Mar 2008
82
82nd
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Rated 16 Mar 2008
80
83rd
Director Joe Wright seems to be in his topping period. I think his next movie Soloist can be his masterpiece if the trend continues. Atonement starts slow and distant, but by the end scene, it all comes together and grabs the audience by the heart in an emotional outburst. The 5-minute long beach shot is really insane.
Rated 17 Mar 2008
69
35th
Remarkable movie. The first half quite boring - it was hard to keep the attention and not go away. The second half was touching. I don't like the explenation at the end - just talking old woman - could have been done differently.
Rated 19 Mar 2008
80
76th
This slightly over-rated film is beautifully shot through the combined efforts of director Joe Wright and cinematographer Seamus McGarvey. However, the story (adapted by Christopher Hampton from Ian McEwan's novel) only gets a passing grade from me. The first half is very enjoyable but, the second half is a bit of a let-down. It's a good film. I just wanted it to be better.
Rated 22 Mar 2008
50
11th
Hated the book. Movie slightly better.
Rated 26 Mar 2008
89
62nd
Very well put together, but it seemed a little off balance due to the conversion between book and movie
Rated 05 Apr 2008
70
81st
a bit slow-paced, with a hard-to-swallow hole in the story line, but good performances; much better in the second half
Rated 06 Apr 2008
100
97th
Atonement does an amazing job at pulling the viewer into the emotional landscape of the film. Great acting, writing, and directing. Not as powerful on the second viewing, but still a masterpiece none-the-less.
Rated 14 Apr 2008
70
60th
I liked it. It had a good story and a bit of a twist.
Rated 23 Apr 2008
65
53rd
One great shot! You have to suffer through a lot of drama to get to it though. What Barry Lyndon would be like if it sucked.
Rated 12 May 2008
99
94th
Despite its vulgar underpinnings, this film is stunningly beautiful, and powerful. The scene of Dunkirk is the most visually moving piece of moviemaking and cinematography I have ever seen.
Rated 18 May 2008
100
92nd
Loved it. The score was perfect.
Rated 14 Jun 2008
73
83rd
good movie
Rated 23 Jun 2008
78
87th
Hits hard. Full of realism and unpredictability. I love that.
Rated 26 Jun 2008
75
89th
A great film somewhat spoiled by the final scene.James McAvoy is a star.
Rated 28 Jun 2008
90
0th
In a word, brilliant. This movie is a feast for the eyes, and it's storyline is excellent. Very good movie.
Rated 07 Jul 2008
90
94th
Joe Wright evolved very much regarding the previous movie. The technical aspects of the production are perfect. Like the resonant effects and the sequence filmed in the point of retreat of the British troops, during the Second War. A drama about a painful feeling for the fault and their consequences.
Rated 12 Jul 2008
50
21st
Sloooooooooooooow.
Rated 13 Jul 2008
3
45th
A superbly crafted and extremely elegant film on all fronts. It's visually stunning, from warm wilderness palettes to an absolutely jaw dropping tracking shot through a war-torn beach. The multiple perspectives bring out varied emotions on the same events, and it gives the movie quite a bit of character. Some of the acting is a bit unconvincing (Knightley especially) and the typewriter-laced score is overdone, but on the whole it's an admirable effort.
Rated 14 Jul 2008
100
96th
The best film of 2007. Atonement is breath taking and heart breaking.
Rated 05 Aug 2008
87
87th
As an IMDb user said, this is pure poetry on film. It feels as the book does, and brings the novel to life. Not too crazy about Knightly though.
Rated 24 Aug 2008
90
60th
Great Film, tear jerker!
Rated 25 Aug 2008
75
71st
Double points for the fineness of James MacAvoy. Add another couple for the excellent costumes.
Rated 07 Sep 2008
80
88th
A well told tale of life, death, perseverance and atonement. The backdrops and the landscapes were beautiful. The casting was commendable as Briony Tallis's three stages of life seemed quite seamless, as if the same actress who played Briony as a teenager aged with the character.
Rated 17 Sep 2008
83
79th
James McAvoy is much better here than in "Wanted". Regarding technique, the really extensive long shot at the beach is just great!
Rated 24 Sep 2008
75
58th
nice film ... i liked a lot
Rated 23 Oct 2008
98
75th
This is one of my favorite movies ever, i love the cinematography throughout the whole movie. Saorise Ronan is very talented.

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