So is Atonement as good as they say it is?

[emkana]

I will see it Monday, has anybody been yet?

I'm not keen on Keira Knightley unfortunately, she already ruined P & P for me, James McAvoy could well make up for that though!

the ending was horrible.
after much soul searvhing, remembering of such societies, i have come to the conclusion, that the situation described could not have happened. not withthe characters shown the way the were.
so a good film artititically. but horrible y innacurate portrayal of the society

That's interesting, Wildpatch, can you elaborate?

from the way they showed the characters of the adults. responsible. honourable people. her dad paid for him to go to cambridge? allowed im to interact with his children so much so that they were happy to have him in their lives so much. hewas practically one of the family. despite being the housekeepers son, and in different social class. he was exceptionally bright, and they encouraged it. they also entrusted their young children with him. for example the young briony out swimming with him when she jumped in and he had to save her from drowning. the ease with which the brother invited him to dinner, despite entertaining such a rich cad. he could easily have decided to be snobby about the class difference in front of the rich chocolate bloke.
so this guy is a respected memebr of the household. something soooo big could not, and would not be pinned on him just by the say so of an adolescent child.
i know of a household in which a 15 year old boy sold the family computer and tried to blame the servant. the only thing protecting the servant was the familiies knowledge of his character. the father of the family refused to allow the servant to be blamed, and accused the 15 year old of character assasination as well.
if the family has some honour at all, then the servants will be trustworthy and honourable as well. old retainer types. i think this used to be a difference between old money and new money as well.
i hope i am explaining it properly. i was very very upset by how hislife was completley ruined by the say so of one adolescent hormonal child. i'mnot saying that this sort of thing could neverhappen. sadly it could and did, all the time. i just dont think in this instance it coould have, because of the way they showed the characters.

I agree completely with Emkana - I normally can't stand KK, especially in Pride & Prejudice. She is just too modern and smiles too much.

But this was just the right era for her, and she was fabulous, I thought.

Having said that I'd forgotten that Atonement was my least favourite of his books, and I didn't particularly enjoy the film.

Some of the photography was superb, but the plot and the characters just didn't touch me: it left me cold and unmoved, when I'd expected it to be gut-wrenching.

Just come back to this thread while the film is on tv, and I think what you say is very interesting wildpatch.

Great film.
I hate the KK bashing.
I think she is well cast in the film.