Atonement-the act of making amends for an offense. Everyone in either a small way or a big way has felt they have had to atone for one thing or another within their life times. It usually begins with guilt and ends with remorse. In Joe Wright's "Atonement," we get to see the act of offense and how the offender finds her own way of atoning against those she has hurt. Never has it been done in a more graceful and beautiful manner.

While "Atonement" is a drama, it is also a romance. Romances can often seem overdramatic and disgustingly sappy. Portions of this movie have that tendency to be just that. If that is the only bad thing that this movie has to offer than you know that you are in for a good motion picture.

While Keira Knightly usually fails to impress on a dramatic scale, she goes from just doing the motions right and going to a whole other dramatic level.  Her exuberant spirit and high-browed figure works well in the part of "Cecilia" a high class individual whose lover becomes a victim to her sister "Briony's" lie. Again, while she was good in the part, there are many actresses who could have played the part just as well, but probably not with that signature 1930s figure that she has.

James McAvoy on the other hand….he was magnificent. McAvoy plays "Robbie," a man convicted of rape due to a lie by his lover's sister. Many of his sequences take place during World War II. One has no trouble believing that he is a man who has been weathered down by life and tortured by his constant need to be with "Cecilia." The emotion is all in McAvoy's eyes, as it is with any good actor.

The cinematography is absolutely out of this world. Visually stunning and moving, it not only tells the story, it becomes a part of it. There is one sequence, per example, in which "Robbie" finally gets to the sea (the only thing left between "Cecilia" and him) and starts to become very ill. There is an eerie yet childish ferris wheel in the background that shows exactly how "Robbie" is feeling. It is absolutely breathtaking.

How and what a character wears tells the audience what the person is feeling and how they take care of themselves in daily life. This costumer knew exactly what they were doing. From the stark passion of "Cecilia's" green dress worn in the love scene to the scarlet red of the costumes around and on "Briony" that represent the blood of her offense still on her hands, we get a fuller scope of the emotion within the picture. Only a good costumer could further enrich the emotion of the picture with what his or her characters wear.

"Atonement" is primarily about the consequences of our actions and how they affect other people around us. "Briony" as a selfish and stubborn child tells a lie that is life altering to many people. While she sees a simple way to get rid of a problem, she doesn't realize (until later) that she has ruined not only "Robbie's" life, but her sister "Cecilia's", and her own as well. This in turn could have caused a couple deaths as well.

This movie is about redemption too…a personal redemption. Although certain people may never have the chance to be forgiven, one has to find a way to forgive ourselves. How does someone began to forgive themselves? "Briony" uses her writing talents to do so, but not everyone throughout life is so lucky. Some people will never feel redeemed and some will never care. It is just how humanity works.

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