Atonement

Movie Information

In Brief: When Joe Wright’s sophomore effort Atonement hit Cannes, words like “masterpiece” and phrases like “an instant classic” (what does that mean? add water and stir?) came tumbling forth like oranges from a faulty sack. Being something of a skeptic — and always wary of high-toned dramas that smack of Merchant-Ivory or Masterpiece Theatre — I was prepared to find myself at odds with the headlong rush to propel the film into the pantheon of great movies, regardless of how much I liked Wright’s Pride and Prejudice (2005). Having seen the film, I’m completely bogged in a mixture of great admiration and complete indifference. Others have had a much more profound reaction to the film, and even without that, I would still recommend Atonement for all the things it does right. It’s an intelligent, beautifully crafted piece of entertainment — even if I’m not sold on its actual greatness. Rescheduled following a canceled screening in January. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke published on Jan. 9, 2008.
Score:

Genre: Drama
Director: Joe Wright
Starring: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave
Rated: R

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Atonement on Sunday, March 5 at 2 p.m. in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

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About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

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