Atonement

(Great Britain/USA, 2007, 123 minutes)

In England just before WWII, an upper-crust 13-year old finds her older sister with the housekeeper's son and jumps to conclusions that will tear the family apart. Handsomely shot, elaborate juxtaposition of romantic melodrama and meditation on fiction that, despite a breathtakingly good first half and sharp writing, eventually collapses at the altar of style.

Universal Pictures presents, in association with Studio Canal and Relativity Media, a Working Title Films production. Starring James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan; and Vanessa Redgrave. Directed by Joe Wright; produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Paul Webster; screenplay by Christopher Hampton, based on the novel by Ian McEwan, Atonement; music by Dario Marianelli; director of photography (DeLuxe), Seamus McGarvey; production designer, Sarah Greenwood; costume designer, Jacqueline Durran; film editor, Paul Tothill.