Movies Of The Decade - 2007 Atonement

Atonement sees a film adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel of the same name and is set in England in 1935.

The film consist of four parts like the novel and opens with an innocent  yet manipulative 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) living on her family's country estate with her mother and sister Cecila (Keria Knightley)

They are then visited by young relatives the twins Pierrot and Jackson (Felix and Charlie von Simsin) and their 15-year-old sister, Lola (Juno Temple), whose parents are in the process of divorcing

With Cecila home for the summer she strikes up an unlikely relationship with the housekeepers son Robbie (James McAvoy).

After an incident at the fountain leaves Robbie ashamed of his actions he writes two letters of apology, one draft being sexual explicit and one being politically correct and asks Briony to deliver the letter to Cecila making it less embarrassing for him.

When Briony comes across Lola being raped by someone, who then runs away, Briony insists to Lola to tell the police that Robbie raped her and hands the sexual letter to Cecilia as evidence.

Cecilia is the only one to stand by Robbie and  protests his innocence, and the whole family is torn apart.

Robbie is soon tried and convicted and sent to prison for four years, and when released he enlists to the army.

With Briony now a famous writer her new book Atonement, documents what she did to her sister and Robbie and how her jealous and twisted mind tore apart a perfect relationship.
 
The storyline of the movie makes it unforgettable and the way in which the war scenes are shot are harrowing yet true to life.

The films message of guilt haunting you all your life, and never underestimating the power of a lie as it can change everything are something that we all face in our life.

Female First Natalie Broxton