Atonement

Director and lead stare at the story as it spasmodically twitches on the floor and dies.

OK, we'll start with the pros. This movie is absolutely beautiful. The acting is mostly good and every shot is like a work of art. But then there is the story. Act one contained a good story, almost compelling if moody spoiled British aristocrats staring at each other in a maudlin passion is your thing. But then someone had the idea that this story should be an epic and it all went to bloody hell. Suddenly, and I do mean suddenly, this movie is Band of Brothers meets gone with the Wind and nothing makes sense. How this movie got the attention it did this year is a not so much a mystery to me (people like the pretty pictures) but it is somewhat disappointing.