Atonement, ...almost

So, if you remember, or maybe you don't, that I wrote a rather heated post about how I didn't think Atonement would be coming to any theater within a thousand-mile radius. Imagine my surprise when my friend texts me on Friday and says it was playing at a theater near campus, when did I want to go? So, we set the time - today, the 4:10 showing, and she picks me and Rebecca up and we ride over to Cary. We get there, meet her friend, find our seats, and watch the film. First of all, I have to say that the acting was superb. Really really good. I can't tell who I want to win the best actor golden globe and Oscar more: Johnny Depp, or James McAvoy (he's the guy in Atonement). Really, really good acting. Keira Knightley is dazzling, as usual, and gives a stellar performance. The movie itself is good - one minute it makes you laugh in amazement, and the next you're on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. It's about this thirteen-year-old girl, Briony Tallis, who sees something between her older sister Cecilia (played by the stunning Keira Knightley), and the Cambridge graduate - family-hired gardener Robbie (played by James McAvoy). Young Briony doesn't know how to interpret what she saw, and ends up telling a horrible lie that sends Robbie, full of the passion of young love and the promise of becoming a doctor, to prison. The movie follows Briony, Cecilia, and Robbie as Briony seeks her Atonement.

Does she get it? I can't say. I really can't. Know why? I'll tell you. Five minutes before the conclusion of the film, the fire alarm in the theater went off. There wasn't a fire, but the film shut off immediately and the house lights came on. Someone came and spoke to us, told up that they'd get the film up and running momentarily, and here was a free movie pass for our trouble. That was good. Then about fifteen minutes later, someone else comes back and says that they can't get the system back up, they won't be able to finish showing our film, but here's another free pass and we're welcome to get a refund for out ticket at the box office. So, two free passes and a refunded ticket later, we started polling people, seeing if anyone knew how our movie ended. No one did. So, we went over to Barnes and Nobles and found the book. We learned how the story ended, kind of. The author writes in a very ambiguous and misleading manner, so it's hard to tell what really happened. I eventually figured out what happened and now can only begrudge the last five minutes of film I missed and not the end of the plot. I did buy the book, because the movie was so good, and I'll start reading that soon. Would it be worth it to go back and watch the first two hours of the film again, just to see the last five minutes? Maybe. Heck, I have a free pass, why not? We'll see. You should go see it, if you can. It's a really really good movie. I have to own it when it comes out on DVD, it's that good.