Atonement (2007)

Atonement is a lush, beautiful, and emotionally intense period romance set in 1935 through World War II to the present day. Think of it as Sense and Sensibility meets The English Patient. As is common knowledge, the film examines a young girl's (Saoirse Ronan) misperception of a sexual advance on her sister and her ensuing testimony about a sexual crime against her cousin. The lives of her sister and her future husband are intrinsically bound up in the perpetually resonating tragedy that then follows all three to their graves. It's rated R mainly for a sexual scene where James McAvoy remains fully clothed in tux and tails while he pinions Keira Knightly against a library bookcase. (How his pants stay up while making her writhe remains a mystery of moviemaking.) Nevertheless, Atonement is not about sex but longing and sorrow, separation and repentance. I waited a year and a half to watch this emotionally resonant movie; don't make the same mistake. 5 stars.