Atonement: The Poll

[FilmFan720]

Ah, I just never thought of that as a twist, per se. I always just found it an interesting piece of information. Thanks Damien.

[Damien]

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT
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The surprise is that the two lovers actually died, and the scenes of them reunited were part of the book which Briony wrote, existing only in her imagination.



Edited By Damien on 1196650623

[FilmFan720]

OK, if you haven't read the novel, don't read any further. I am going to mention a spoiler.

I keep hearing about this twist ending at the end of the movie/novel. What is the twist? I read the novel, and nothing jumped out at me as a twist. Is it that the two lovers died in the war? Or that she wrote the novel? Or that they perform her play? Nothing really shocked me in that final chapter, lovely as it is.

[ITALIANO]

No, The English Patient was a better movie, and a more powerful one. This is a well-made, well-intentioned, respectable version of a much-loved novel - but it lacks that epic feel which made Minghella's movie so predictably popular (and unstoppable) at the Oscars.

[OscarGuy]

I've thought director Joe Wright was the weak link for the film anyway. It does happen that newer directors get nominations, but for some reason I can't say that he's really a contender.

Does anyone think the film reminds them of The English Patient? Sweeping epic drama that has a few detractors but speaks to the power of love? It could also be Cold Mountain, but I get the English Patient vibe more from the trailer.

[ITALIANO]

What could happen - if, I mean, American reviews keep being not very enthusiastic as I read in this thread - is that Atonement will still be nominated for Best Picture, but his director won't.
Unlike Dreamgirls, this is not an obviously unwatchable movie, so I can still see it being liked by the Academy enough to do well in the technical categories, music, screenplay (which is a far from brilliant, but "correct", decent adaptation), acting categories (and I honestly can't see how they can nominate Knightley and ignore McAvoy like the Satellites did, unless this year Best Actor is truly competitive) - and then Best Picture. The lack of a Best Director nomination would, of course, almost surely prevent it from winning, and since I still stubbornly have my doubts about it going to No Country for Old Men... maybe we should be prepared for a third alternative.

[flipp525]

BREYE-ah-nee.



Edited By flipp525 on 1196528536

[anonymous1980]

Does anyone know the proper way to pronounce "Briony."

Bree-OH-nee? BREYE-oh-nee? Bree-AHN-ee?

It was driving me crazy while I read the novel.

I believe it's the second one.

That's the way I pronounced it at least.



Edited By anonymous on 1196527321

[Damien]

Does anyone know the proper way to pronounce "Briony."

Bree-OH-nee? BREYE-oh-nee? Bree-AHN-ee?

It was driving me crazy while I read the novel.

[OscarGuy]

After seeing Away from Her last night, I'm convinced it may be the surprise nominee. It's the only film being touted that could possibly appeal to the sensibilities of older Academy voters. While the younger ones will all jump on board something like No Country for Old Men, the older voters may see much of themselves in Christie and Pinsent.

[Big Magilla]

A year ago I would have said it was a shoo-in for a best picture nomination even if such lukewarm reviews continue to come in because it would sweep the technical categories as well as pull in several acting nods, and probably director, but then Dreamgirls happened, so I don't know what to think any more. In the end, though, I suspect it will probably come down to Atonement vs. No Country for Old Men with Into the Wild, Sweeney Todd and There Will Be Blood rounding out the nominations as they are the films people seem to feel most passionate about despite their detractors. Away From Her and Juno are the dark horses that could end up being spoilers.

[Mister Tee]

Actually, Magilla, I thought that last sentence you quoted from Schwazbaum's review made it sound like more an Oscar-profile movie than ever -- the group that went for Dances with Wolves over GoodFellas, Crash over Brokeback Mountain, and others too numerous to mention, could have that quote as their mission statement.

[The Original BJ]

Just a heads-up: I wouldn't read that Travers review if you haven't read the novel (or don't want significant plot elements spoiled).

As with In the Bedroom, some critics don't seem concerned about spoiling Atonement's first act developments, when in actuality, those narrative events should be kept secret until viewers discover them on their own, IMO.

[Zahveed]

Here's a four star review from Travers:Rolling Stone

I was looking for a bad review to round it out a little bit but my computer is taking a shit on me. That's usually bad unless you're into that sort of thing.

[Big Magilla]

Lisa Schwartzbaum damns it with faint priase, - "it's a nice moive where magnificence is in order." She gives a B while at the same time giving both The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Juno A-. Could be the Satellites' failure to nominate it for best picture is just the beginning of the end of its awards hopes.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20163015,00.html