I watched it at the
Mayfair Theatre with a sparse crowd. At the end of the movie, nobody moved. We all sat in a state of collective grief, or maybe it was trauma, or a mix of both. I don't recall a similar sensation like it since I watched
Schindler's List in the theatre. Do we need another film on the devastating consequences of war? Yes, until we stop having wars.
Atonement is based on true events - the names of the people involved have been fictionalized. The story takes place in 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq, where a U.S. military group of marines who were there as part of an U.S. Marine unit, part of the American invasion, finds itself under attack. They petition themselves on a rooftop and returned fire. They were firing on anything coming their way. What comes their way is a family just trying to get home, away from the gunfire. In this story, a young soldier, Lou (Boyd Holbrook) opens fire on the family car thinking its occupants are hostile. He, and some of his counterparts, end up killing three members of the family. A horrible accident. Kenneth Branagh plays Michael Reid, a U.S. journalist who writes a story about it. Fast-forward ten years. Lou is not doing well. He's not sleeping, he's having violent outbursts, and panic attacks - looks like PTSD. He is a mess. The wife and mother of the murdered victims, Mariam (Hiam Abbass) is now living in the US. Lou reaches out to Michael to see if he can arrange a meeting with Mariam to apologize for what he has done. You might want to criticize this whole story and say something like, "Poor white boy shot someone and we should feel sorry for him?" This is the whole point of the film. The film is about guilt, forgiveness, and loss. There is so much sadness here, so much pain. And all of it is heartbreaking. The performances by Boyd Holbrook and Hiam Abbass were astounding - they felt as real and as raw as possible. I hope they are not forgotten during award season. Even Kenneth Branagh should get a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. This is director Reed Van Dyk first feature-length film and it's a masterpiece. One of the best films of the year. Catch it in theatres now or rent it when available from
Movies 'N Stuff.
