Atonement (DVD)

Atonement

Out now on DVD is the widely praised movie Atonement. Considering all the press this movie has recieved, I think most people are aware of it by now. What most people probably aren't aware of is how complex it actually is. At first glance, you'd assume it's a love story. It is, but not the kind you'd expect. It's also about how a horrible mistake can alter the course of your life, leaving you to carry tremendous guilt. When I first saw previews of the film, I thought, "Ok, it's obviously a love story, but how does the word 'atonement' fit in there?" The definition for the word means "reparation for an offense or injury." So I thought maybe someone cheated on their lover and had to atone for their mistake? After seeing the DVD, I realized that I was way off. Also, I always had the impression that the movies that get the most nominations at the Oscars were also the most boring. I was wrong again. Far from being boring, this story had my attention fully engaged as it progressed into a deep story that dealt with love, jealousy, lying, guilt, and war in a very real way. This film will make shake up your emotions a bit, maybe even stir up a little anger, if you're like me. The acting in the film was convincing by all the main characters. One role that particularly stood out to me was James McAvoy, who played Robbie Turner. The only other role I knew him for was Mr. Tumnus in the Chronicles Of Narnia. Needless to say, this was a role where he got to show he could play much more than a furry character in the land of Narnia. I expect to see him cast in more films after this. The hell that he and his lover Cecilia (Keira Knightley) have to go through, because of one horrible decision made by another character, is devastating. And all that leads up to what the "atonement" is for. Because of this bad decision by another character, lives have been torn and relationships have been shattered. And by the time you reach the end, you'll see how one person has to come to terms after dealing with a life of guilt. There's so many themes to pull from this. The extras on the DVD do a great job of expanding on these themes with different interviews, and the background of how the film was made. So like I was saying, I was surprised at how much I liked this. And chances are, you might be too. Overall, it's a film that really lives up to all the hype that surrounded it.