Compared with its grittier Oscar rivals, Joe Wright's lush period romance Atonement looked almost archaic. But his epic adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel, about a foolish young girl (Saoirse Ronan) whose hasty judgments doom her sister's romance, boasts its own modern storytelling ingenuity. Repeat viewings highlight the meticulous camera work and editing, yet the impact of the lovers' sadness perseveres. EXTRAS In his commentary, Wright dissects the five-minute Dunkirk beach tracking shot. Fortunately, they nailed it in three takes, just before the Steadicam operator collapsed. A-
LETTER PERFECT Keira Knightley in the Oscar-nominated romance Atonement, now on DVD
EW's GRADE
A-Details Release Date: Mar 18, 2008; DVD Release Date: Mar 18, 2008; Movie Rated: R; Genre: Drama; With: Keira Knightley and James McAvoy; Distributor: Focus Features; More
You Might Also Like
- Photo Gallery 18 wild trips to...the library
- Movie Article Dave Karger's Oscar odds
- Oscars 2008 Peek at six Oscar ballots
- Movie Article EW's 2008 Oscar picks
- Movie Article Campaigning for Best Picture
Advertisement
Today's Most Popular
-
Photo Gallery: Grammys 2012 Grammys 2012: Who will/should win
Our Partners
Movie Calendar
- January 3
- January 4
- January 6
- January 13
- January 20
- January 27
- February 3
- February 10
- February 17
- February 24
- March 2
- March 9
- March 16
- March 23
- March 30
- April 4
- April 6
- April 13
- April 20
- April 27
- * Dates subject to change
Add your comment
The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.