Directed by: Joe Wright
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Romola Garai
Rating: R

James McAvoy in Atonement. (Courtesy photo)

Briony Tallis, the young girl whose actions set in motion the lush melodrama of Atonement, marches through her home in straight lines, navigating turns at 90 degrees like a soldier. On the soundtrack she is matched by the clickety-click of a typewriter. This is the type of shorthand filmmakers employ in an effort to encapsulate large sections of descriptive prose when adapting novels. It doesn’t work. Joe Wright, who directed the mostly faithful adaptation of Ian McEwan’s acclaimed novel, gets other things right—most notably the performances of his sensational cast. But his attempt at translating McEwan’s intricately detailed prose into a visual medium may have been doomed from the start. The plot of Atonement is the stuff of tragic romance novels (this is one of those very rare cases in which I actually did read the book first). It’s almost as if McEwan was determined to mine some of melodrama’s most beloved chestnuts—the chipping façade of the idle rich, the forbidden romance of the upper-crust girl and the lusty gardener, the noble soldier tramping behind enemy lines in occupied France are all trotted out and tried on by McEwan, Wright and screenwriter Christopher Hampton. Didn’t Snoopy cover this territory years ago?

In 1935 England 13-year-old Briony (Saoirse Ronan) sees her older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) engaged in a very vulnerable moment with gardener Robbie (James McAvoy). She dangerously misunderstands the moment and when later events call for a villain, she all too confidently offers Robbie up. Amazingly (that’s one word for it), her testimony sends the innocent young man to prison, robbing Cecilia and Robbie of their burgeoning love. Five years later Robbie is behind enemy lines, Cecilia is working as a nurse, and 18-year-old Briony (Romola Garai) is beginning to understand the consequences of her actions.

In 2005 Joe Wright made his directorial debut with a lovely, lively adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, also starring Knightley. His approach to Atonement is to bring an almost panicked urgency to the proceedings. The thematic metronome of the clacking typewriter is a trying device, as is the generally over-exuberant sound design—we hear the cigarettes burn, and are treated to a near-constant background buzz of flying insects. Wright struggles with the same issues that challenge the book: the rotating of protagonists, when we should really be viewing the story almost solely through Briony’s eyes. Now, those who know the story can argue that we are in fact doing just that, except that this is only revealed much later on.

The movie’s strength is its cast. Briony truly is the main character, but since her role is divided in three, it’s Robbie who gets the most screen time. James McAvoy (Last King of Scotland) is another little guy with a lot of presence. Robbie is a bit too perfect, but McAvoy finds ways to slip in human moments, usually through an impulsive laugh. The young actor gets more impressive and appealing with each role as he climbs toward stardom. Keira Knightley appears to be as good as her material. The thinner the stuff, the more mannered the performance. But give her something meaty like Cecilia, and she can pull it off. Saoirse Roman is simply mesmerizing as young Briony. Her still face exudes intelligence and hurt beyond her years. It will be exciting to see her in next year’s The Lovely Bones. Romola Garai (Vanity Fair) is just as good in the role of 18-year-old Briony. Garai has the film’s hardest scene, in which she attempts to connect with her older sister. It’s a thrilling collection of small agonies, and Garai is pitch-perfect. The supporting cast is strong, including Brenda Blethyn (another veteran of Pride and Prejudice) as Robbie’s mother, a terrific character-actor named Benedict Cumberbatch (McAvoy’s foil in the delightful Starter for 10) as rich friend Paul Marshall, and Vanessa Redgrave in a brief but effective turn as Briony near the end of her life. This casting did leave me with one nagging question: when multiple actors play characters at different ages, why do they have to keep the same hairstyle?

There’s nothing wrong with old-fashioned melodrama if it is done well, unless we’re asked to take it too seriously. Atonement is lovingly mounted, with lush costumes and sets and shots of the beach at Dunkirk that are deservedly earning plaudits. But it should not be viewed as much more than a pretty good weeper. Atonement isn’t nearly one of the best movies of the year, in spite of its Oscar nomination, but rather, a so-so movie enhanced by some of the best ensemble acting of the year. That turned out to be good enough for me, but it won’t be for many.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, California, and works for the Cartoon Network. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.