Atonement

There aren't too many ways to interpret Joe Wright's Atonement. The more common one is that it's about an undying love torn apart by a lie. I personally view it as a tale of a woman and the weight of the guilt she carries.

The woman is Briony Tallis, played in different stages of her life by Saoirse Ronan, Romala Garai and Vanessa Redgrave. When she was a girl, she witnessed a number of events that would change the course of everything she knows, all related somewhat to her older sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and Robbie (James McAvoy), the gardener.

Is there a motive to what Briony did at an age when she was just learning about the world around her? At some point in the film, she admits she once had a crush on Robbie. Could jealousy be the motive? After all, she did catch Cecilia and Robbie in a compromising position. Perhaps she thought if she couldn't have Robbie, no one could.

But the way she acts implies she never understood the feelings between Cecilia and Robbie. She also admits she was never in love. Yet does she understand it? Maybe it's one of those things she comprehended better as she got older, but no one knows except for her.

Atonement is a very well-crafted film, but it focuses too much on Cecilia and Robbie. There isn't enough on Briony, whom I clearly found the more compelling of the three. The cinematography and score are gorgeous, picking up for the dull spots. All in all, a very good film.

My Rating: ****1/2

The Soloist

Once in a while, I go to the movies to see a movie that most people overlook rather than an overhyped big-budget blockbuster. Case in point, I'm reviewing The Soloist.

In 2005, the only thing hurting Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.) more than his face from a recent bike accident was his pressing need for story ideas. That is when he discovers Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a mentally ill homeless street musician who possesses extraordinary talent, even through his half-broken instruments. Inspired by his story, Lopez writes an acclaimed series of articles about Ayers and attempts to do more to help both him and the rest of the underclass of LA have a better life. However, Lopez's good intentions run headlong in the hard realities of the strength of Ayers' personal demons and the larger social injustices facing the homeless. Regardless, Lopez and Ayers must find a way to conquer their deepest anxieties and frustrations to hope for a brighter future for both of them.

Both Downey and Foxx deliver strong performances, but the movie itself lags throughout. You would think Joe Wright would direct a strong movie judging from his earlier efforts (Pride and Prejudice and Atonement), but alas he does not.

My Rating: ****