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Atonement

“In 1935, 13-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis and her family live a life of wealth and privilege in their enormous mansion. On the warmest day of the year, the country estate takes on an unsettling hothouse atmosphere, stoking Briony’s vivid imagination. Robbie Turner, the educated son of the family’s housekeeper, carries a torch for Briony’s headstrong older sister Cecilia. Cecilia, he hopes, has comparable feelings; all it will take is one spark for this relationship to combust. When it does, Briony — who has a crush on Robbie — is compelled to interfere, going so far as accusing Robbie of a crime he did not commit. Cecilia and Robbie declare their love for each other, but he is arrested — and with Briony bearing false witness, the course of three lives is changed forever. Briony continues to seek forgiveness for her childhood misdeed. Through a terrible and courageous act of imagination, she finds the path to her uncertain atonement, and to an understanding of the power of enduring love.”

Well. I’ve wanted to see this movie since I first heard of its upcoming existence. Now, with all the Oscar hype, I just couldn’t wait any longer.

James McAvoy owns my heart. His stunning blue eyes…his sigh-worthy little groans and whimpers of someone helplessly in love…ayeeee.

This was an incredible story. Refreshing in a time when no story seems completely original. I’m not sure how to convey all my feelings without being too revealing, so I’ll just say please watch it, and put the rest of my thoughts here behind a cut for you to read after you’ve seen it….

Tragic. Heartbreaking. Beautiful. In the end, this was one of those movies that when the credits rolled, I sat with my head tilted thoughtfully to the side, sad smile on my face, and finally, a sigh.

I thought things were going to fall apart while watching the prolonged scenes of war. I just didn’t feel like they were relevant to the story, but in the end, when we learned the truth, I understood that those were his last days. Instead of happily ever after, those days of un-understanding chaos were his final ones. I knew he was going then. He promised you wouldn’t hear another word from him and he kept that promise. I hate to think he passed feeling like so much of a letdown–his words about promising to come back to her and marry her and live without shame…you could hear it in his voice–he knew he wouldn’t be keeping that promise. I knew he was gone, but I didn’t want it to be true. I wanted the scene in the apartment to be real. Their love making it through all of this hardship, her being the rock to tether him. It was just beautiful.

For Briony to give them the happiness she took away, how incredible. How do you live knowing how you’ve ruined two lives that way? Knowing you’re the sole reason someone didn’t have the love they deserve, or happiness…

Omgoodness and the ever-present sound of the typewriter was just genius to me. Such a reminder of where they’ve been and what got them here.