atonement

I saw Atonement last night and will begin by saying that I recommend you go see this movie, if you haven't already. Starting from the outside in, I think the cinematography was brilliant. The way it was shot and edited, and set to the score, was very...poignant.

I found the story to be very unfair. But of course, that's what makes it dramatic. But the great thing about the way it was told was that it wasn't a tearjerker. I'm going to try to say this without giving anything away, but if you see it, you'll probably know what I mean. I'll admit that I'm a crier when it comes to movies. I'll cry in nearly everything, so I was expecting this movie to just wrench my heart.

But it didn't.

What happened was the end just sort of hit you in the gut. There wasn't a big lead up to it, and so there were only a few tears. But as I left the theatre, waited for the train and walked home from the metro, it kept coming back to me and I felt even more sad. And I think that ability to stay with a person like that is partly what makes it good storytelling. If it was something that walking out of the theatre made me cease thinking of it, well then it was a good two hours worth of entertainment and that's all.

I also bought the book last night. We ended up having to see a later showing since the one we were going to see was sold out, so we killed time at the Barnes & Noble across the street. I'd almost bought the book for my flight back to DC from Dallas, and after really looking forward to the movie, I decided to go ahead and buy it to read it. It was Nathan Bransford's post on the movie and book that also encouraged me to finally see the movie and buy the book. By mentioning that parts of the movie, that were great in the film but, as he says, not as intense, but were a little "hollow," and maybe just didn't translate well.

I am one of those of the school that the book is always better than the movie. Because there's so much the book can delve into that just either can't translate or is usually cut because of time (The Count of Monte Cristo is my best/favorite example). So those scenes that weren't as intense...well, since I still thought they were good they must be even more intense in the book.

I'll let you know what I think of the book when I get a chance to read it. And it is a bit of an incentive to get through the other ones I'm currently reading. But yes, I really liked the movie and suggest seeing it.