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An Early Reaction To Joe Wright’s ATONEMENT! McAvoy and Knightley and Redgrave, Oh My!
Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.
Second films are important these days for directors because that’s where you start to define yourself. Are you a one-trick pony? Do you have something to say from film to film, with a real voice? I wasn’t crazy about Joe Wright’s PRIDE & PREJUDICE, but many people were. This time out, he’s working from a more contemporary piece of fiction, adapting the Ian McEwan novel that is, honestly, one of those books that is so much about the use of language as it is the story and the characters that it seems unadaptable to me. I think Wright’s going to really have to step up his game as a filmmaker to do justice to this novel.
And to be fair, much of what I’m hearing so far is that people like what they’re seeing. Like this guy, for example...
Hey Harry
Greetings from rainy Britain!
The summer's gloom has been lifted by the new movie 'Atonement' - director Joe Wright's next movie after the successful 'Pride and Prejudice'. I saw a preview yesterday at the Picture House in Stratford upon Avon. The new movie is released on 7th September in the UK and 7th December in the US.
I guess from your site you have seen the trailer so you will have a little feel for what it's about. It's based on Ian McEwan's novel of 2001 and spans three time periods. The first is set at an English country house in 1935 when a servant's son Robbie Turner played by James McAvoy (Last King of Scotland) has an affair with the daughter of the house Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and then is wrongly accused by Cecilia's sister Briony of assaulting a younger girl and ends up in prison. We move forward to 1940 France and the defeated British Army's struggle to evacuate from Dunkirk and Robbie's adventures as a soldier. Vanessa Redgrave plays the older version of Briony at the end in 1999.
I cannot explain in words just what a fine piece of film-making this is. I was moved, I laughed but most of all gripped by a wonderful story brilliantly played by a superb ensemble cast. The highlight for me is the 5 minute tracking shot following Robbie and his mates along the beach at Dunkirk. It's one of the most powerful scenes I have ever seen and I cried - not something I regularly do in the cinema being a grumpy 51 year old Brit!! I'm crying now just thinking about it.
I managed to get on the set last summer when they were filming the country house scenes near where I work. You can see the house here.
Hope this is of interest. Maybe you have already received positive reports from other people who saw the preview. I'm going again on Tuesday next week and it's opening the Venice film Festival on 29th August.
This site has some great stuff about the movie so check it out.
People are talking about Oscars for this one so hope they right as Joe and his crew deserve some reward.
Best wishes,
Tim King
Shrewsbury UK
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+ Expand All
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SO THERE!
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DOSNT REALLY MATTER THOUGH.
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Indeed I think it will blow people away. That was the scene that I was a part of. It was shot in Redcar, England were I live. It took about five takes in all and a thousand of us extras were all put into position for the track of the camera. I can tell you now it is nothing short of epic. the sun was setting behind us as claxtons were used to clear the set of makeup artists etc. I was posistioned on the road at the top of the beach. I sat on an old motorbike and side car and it took at least four minutes for Mcavoy and the rest to wander up to us with the camerman following. Joe wright the director was following the camerman closely with a handheld monitor. It was somthing I will never forget and if Iam correct Iam sure I will be in it as the camera pans right past me. The thing is its one of those shots that only true movie fans could and would appreciate because its a very tricky shot. All it took was for one person to do somthing wrong and we all stopped and went back to position. Its similar to the long tracking shot in Goodfellas but as you can imagin alot more epic and complicated. Trust me you will love it.
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i opted for the Simpsons Movie instead.
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What a dreadful actress she is.
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left me cold, and it looked like a very clinical, calculated "lets win an oscar" type of film..
hmph! -
I too am in that shot, it was a mission of a day and Joe Wright kept going on about how great this shot would be.... he was wanking all over it and subtle it was not, but he is justified, very, very justified
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Cor.
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Fuck no! But I wish I could get paid to big up films all day....
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One of my fave films that year. This is on my must see list of the year.
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She's the sexiest tomboy beanpole on the planet !
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should check Empire's 5 star of Atonement.
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I second your most accurate appraisal. For info on the thinking man's Keira Knightley go to http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm1890784/ or watch 'Hogfather'.
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Aug 26, 2007 12:56:11 PM CDT
You know you're probably going to make it .............
by riccardogogo
as a film reviewer when your appraisal contains the following: "I cannot explain in words just what a fine piece of film-making this is."
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heheh bias rules. the video game i'm working on is going to be the best ever!!!!!
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...good of an actress Saoirse Ronan is. She's gonna be Susie Salmon in Peter Jackson's movie THE LOVELY BONES. I cannot wait to see how that pans out, the book is amazing.
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Jesus, this should be the first question out of anyone's mouth. Actually, f that, the reviewer should have the minimal awareness to realize this is what people want to know, and address it in the review, in the first place. Yeah. Invasion and Mr. Bean's Vacation > Superbad.
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...said no one.
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firstly, i'd let mcavoy take a dump on my chest. secondly, great book. frustrating book, but great. and if you're a guy you shouldn't think it's all poncey and upper-crusty. the punch of the story takes place during the war and it's just about as brutal a description as i've ever read.
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Of course no one cares because she looks so good but Keira Knightly is a shockingly bad actress. I love the novel and am sad that such a great role has been wasted on someone who, by any standard, simply cannot act.
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...but I'm still gonna see it because JAMES MCAVOY. That boy can do no wrong, and I loved Joe Wright's version of "Pride and Prejudice," so I'm there the first day "Atonement" opens. As for Keira not being able to act -- well, normally I'd agree, but she did well in P&P so obviously Wright can bring the best out in her. She's certainly a better choice for the role than say, oh, Claire Danes, who singlehandedly ruined "Stardust."
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You know nothing about acting if you think she can't act. (Or Claire Danes). Don't hate her because she's beautiful.
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I thought Pride and Prejudice was excellent. I don't know if Knightley is a good actress or not, but the screenplay and direction of P&P was what made the movie so good. It is the first movie version of P&P that treats teenage girls like teenage girls, no matter the time period. Among other things, this 'modernisation' of a period novel without the usual anachronisms/leaps of logic was what impressed me the most. Wright has my vote of confidence for whatever he makes next.
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McAvoy is getting better and better with each new role. Plus, we haven't had a good romantic epic in ages...
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Keira Knightly. I'm there. Oh and yeah, McAvoy's pretty good too.
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I am really looking forward to seeing this movie. Keira Knightly is sensational and I am sure this movie will be a fine film!
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Go check it out to find what everybody is talking about.
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You'll notice me as I'm the one in the tracking shot who can't stop crying. In fact, I'm bawling my eyes out right now just thinking about it
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that's all.
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The book was incredible. It will be interesting to see how it plays on the big screen.
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Go and drink some Baby Bio! This film may be getting positive early reviews, but the language in this review seems wildly planterrific to me. Like, thanks for the UK-US release dates, that's handy info, we'll make sure we're there on opening day! Sorry to be sarcastic; I'm having a bad day. :(
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