We went to see Atonement the other day. This film was partly set in our local seaside town, Redcar, which was posing as 1940's Dunkirk because it looks more like 1940's Dunkirk now than Dunkirk does! We went to see Redcar during the filming last year and it was good to finally see the finished article. Some (perhaps local) critics have said that the Redcar/Dunkirk scene is the highlight of the whole movie, though that's perhaps a bit unfair.
The movie wasn't as I expected. Firstly it had a habit of showing events twice, once from someone's viewpoint and then again from someone else's, or at other times showing and event and then showing the events leading up to that event. Confusing if you don't pay attention. My attention wavered at one point and I failed to see what Robbie wrote in his letter to Cecelia, a pretty key point in the events that followed!
Secondly it's not really a war film, which I kind of thought that it was. The Dunkirk scene is a very small (but significant, as it transpires) part of the film and it's mostly a 1930's-set romantic drama.
The final thing that wasn't as I expected is that there was no happy ending. OK, why should movies always have a happy ending, but this one really kicks you in the teeth. The people behind me were sobbing out loud (well OK, quietly, but still out loud, if you know what I mean).
I'd have to say that I enjoyed the film. Not what I expected and a bit of a girly film, but enjoyable all the same. And Redcar really did us proud.
Atonement 7/10








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