Saturday January 5                ATONEMENT               15 certificate 122 mins UK, 2007              Directed by Joe Wright, Starring James McAvoy, Kiera Knightley, Romola Garai

Ian McEwan's acclaimed novel given the sweeping luscious big screen treatment in one of the most acclaimed and celebrated British films of 2007. Like many of McEwan’s recent novels, the story is about an individual whose assumptions about life and entitlement are blown apart by the random actions of another. McAvoy is Robbie, gardener’s son at a stately home, given the chance of a quality education by his employer. About to embark on a career in medicine, and in love with Cecilia, the elder daughter of the House, Robbie’s future looks rosy. But his future is wrenched from him: Cecilia’s sister Briony, precocious and needy, and unable to cope when confronted with the realities of adult sexuality, accuses Robbie of a terrible crime. The family, staying true to their class, fail to leap to his defence.
World War II intervenes, keeping the lovers apart, but also shifting the scope of the film from the personal to the more broadly political, shattering the cosy assumptions of all involved. It is a film that is hard to describe – it is a powerful evocation of love and war and class, about the yearning for what might have been. It is about innocence, the consequences of one terrible mistake, and Briony’s attempts to atone. Atonement is also visually sumptuous, with excellent performances from the leads – arguably the best roles to date for McAvoy and Knightley – and a supporting cast including Brenda Blethyn and Vanessa Redgrave. A great way to kick off 2008.

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