I pick the tagline for this movie as the title. Nothing fits better than this. Having heard of many critics on this movie, I just want to have a look because it’s from Working Title. Something not a comedy, a serious masterpiece. It proves to be very promising for Oscar.
It has this strange and yet impressive story-telling skill to lead you through from 1936 to 1940, from beautiful English garden castle to brutal Dunkirk shore, from sweet summer lovers to harsh winter breakup, without a single glimpse of noticing how it has been done. In the end, it turns everything you have seen to something “fictional” and you are moved by that. It sounds odd, doesn’t it? But it is true. Sometimes you need to imagine the truth by closing your eyes.
What I do want to mention other than the story itself, is the young Irish actress, the 13-year-old Saoirse Ronan. She played the young sister Briony, who gave the mistaken evidence which finally led to her sister Cecilia and her lover Robbie split up. The young Briony had a juvenile crush on Robbie. After she saw Cecilia and Robbie together, this secret loving feeling had turned into a rather harmful action to give a wrongful evidence against Robbie, who had to spend 3 years in prison and later joining the army. After five years, young Briony grew up and finally grasped the full extent of what she had done to her sister and Robbie. Along the story line, Saoirse Ronan played the loving scene very delicately. It’s clear and childish. What’s impressive is how she played the giving evidence scene, from a little bit uncertain to forcingly self-convincing. All is just within a few minutes but shockingly well-played. Though is she young enough to have long road to go on silver screen, she has already set up a very high professional performing standard for new comers.
A good adaption from the best seller novel by Ian McEwan. A nice piece of work from Working Title.
