Above, is a trailer for a film due out this fall (The Duchess), a period film all about some fashionista–the Duchess of Devonshire–who I’ve never heard of. It feels like Marie Antionette without the cool soundtrack. The trailer goes to great lengths to hide the identity of the Duchess, as the narrator describes her. When I saw it several weeks ago, I thought “What a great film for Keira Knightley,” eyes rolling so loudly I thought some other moviegoers may have heard. Then, at the one minute mark, SPOILER!, there’s Keira Knightley…

I’m usually not a big fan of these types of period dramas, however I am a fan of Knightley and have seen each one that she’s done. So when Atonement came out last year, I bought my ticket and prepared for a bore. But what I found, was my #3 film of 2007!

The film, based on Ian McEwan’s novel of the same name, is so titled because the entire story is an apology of well-known author Briony Tallis (Vanessa Redgrave). As a young girl, Briony (now played by Saoirse Ronan) misinterprets the actions she sees between her older sister Cecilia (Knightley) and Cecilia’s servant-cum-lover Robbie (James McAvoy) and makes a false accusation that alters all three of their lives.

We meet young Briony as she sits at her typewriter, finishing another one of her original plays. As the story unfolds, several scenes play out twice, once from Briony’s imaginative point of view and then again, where we see what really happened. Innocent flirtation is seen as a threatening encounter.

The soundtrack, which incorporates Briony’s typewriter, is ingenious. The cinematography is beautiful (note the 5+ minute long shot around the Dunkirk beaches) & the writing is just excellent. I really didn’t expect to like this film at all, and yet I laughed, I cried, I got a little turned on.

I can’t say I’m excited in any way to see The Duchess, but I was pleasantly surprised by Atonement and so I’m highly recommending it to everyone. Even if adaptations like Pride and Prejudice or Little Women make you want to reach for your Die Hard Ultimate Collection or Lord of the Rings Extended Edition, give this one a shot. There are plenty of war scenes that will make up for that dreaded romantic subplot.

And I know my first two posts here have sort of lacked on the “Snark” factor… I think I need to start writing about the crap movies I see instead of the quality ones… They’re so much easier to rip on!

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