It's A Sad Sad Situation
made by barcodepapel
Finally, I watched director Joe Wright's Atonement (2007), an Oscar-winning adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel, which I have looked forward to for so long.
The movie is gorgeous -- gorgous scenary, gorgeous soundtrack, gorgeous cast and gorgeous costume!
The plot is rather simple. It is about a lie a 13-year-old Briony Tallis (played by Saoirse Ronan) tells that brings tragedy to her sister, Cecilia (played by Keira Knightley) and her boyfriend Robbie Turner (played by McAvoy).
What amazing about a simple storyline is that it can be expressed in an unhurried pace and allows the audience to soak up the atmosphere and compreherd the gradual character development.
(Credit to breathy @ tumblr)
Why James McAvoy's movies always have to be depressive?
In 2004, James played a disabled, Rory O'Shea, against actress Romola Garai, who also played the 18-year-old Briony in Atonement.
I would like to take the opportunity to introduce this movie here as well.
Rory: Rory O'Shea. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Besides the full vocal range, I have the use of two fingers of my right hand, sufficient for self-propulsion and self-abuse. You can shake me hand or kiss me arse - but don't expect me to reciprocate.
Inside I'm Dancing (2004) is an underrated movie is about rebellious and cocky Rory moves to the a residential home for the disabled, affecting the lives of the residents. Rory is able to understand the unintelligible speech of Michael Connolly (played by Steven Robertson), who was left in the shelter by his prominent father many years ago due to his cerebral palsy, and they become close friends. Rory convinces Michael to cash the independent living allowance, and they hire a gorgeous girl, Siobhan (played by Romala) to assist them. Living together, they explore the feelings they could never experience in the shelter.
(Credit to james-mcavoy @ tumblr)
Atonement
Robbie: The story can resume. I will return. Find you, love you, marry you and live without shame.
(Credit to breathefame, thebeautyofsolitude, kmotionless, butyoumakemehappy, dontworrycarrie, slayground and alecforshort @ tumblr)
Warning: Spoilers
Briony: So, my sister and Robbie were never able to have the time together they both so longed for... and deserved. Which ever since I've... ever since I've always felt I prevented. But what sense of hope or satisfaction could a reader derive from an ending like that? So in the book, I wanted to give Robbie and Cecilia what they lost out on in life. I'd like to think this isn't weakness or... evasion... but a final act of kindness. I gave them their happiness.
How is it an atonement?
Writing a happy ending slash after ruining someone's lives, destorying someone's affarie d'amour is not an atonement.
Reviving the deaths she damaged in her AU fanfic is not "a final act of kindness", nor giving them their happiness they deserved as the old Briony told herself.
She wrote herself as the a brave penitent that pronounce the innocence of Robbie to free herself from blames.
What she does is not a compensation, and certainly not an atonement, but her weak, evasive way to beg forgiveness.
By the way, I assume all the British actors had co-worked, or at least met once with their fellows.
Aside from Romala, Benedict Cumberbatch from BBC popular mini-series Sherlock had co-starred and friended with James in movie Starter Of Ten (2006) before he played the pedophilic rapist Paul Marshall here.
I am also excited to see Juno Temple who I knew from Mr. Nobody (2009) playing Briony's cousin in this movie.
Inside I'm Dancing
Rory: Aren't you going to arrest me? That's discrimination. You're only doing that because I'm disabled. It's my civil right to be arrested.
The movie also called Rory O'Shea Was Here.
Both James and Steven are brilliant and very convincing in this movie.
Without the help of body language, James still has an expressive face that is sufficiant for him to influence our emotion. His character apparents as a jerk but we know it is his self-defensive mask covering his caring heart.
Steven's performance is also incredible as his character can only express his feelings with his distorted face and very limited physical mobility, but never verbally. Still, we can feel his emotion and his friendship with Rory deeply.
My heart particularily sinked and skipped a beat at the following two scenes:
(Credit to alwaysbeenwithyou @ tumblr)
[Rory spinning his wheelchair around on the dancefloor.]
Michael: *unintelligibly* It's not dancing.
Rory: Sure it's dancing! What do you think I'm doing inside?
Rory: Rory O'Shea was here.
Michael: Rory O'Shea is here. [Michael points to his own heart]
James, why must you break my heart?