Atonement

Starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy. This adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel is set in the period leading up to World War II and to the events at Dunkirk in 1940. Now maybe I've been watching too many films, but my enjoyment of this exceptionally good
movie was somewhat marred by accents and dialogue reminiscent of 'Brief Encounter' and scenes taken from 'Gone With the Wind'. In the first half an hour I kept on having flashbacks to that tearoom in Milford Junction, because Keira Knightley sounded exactly like Dame Celia Johnson - but James McAvoy is no Trevor Howard! Meanwhile the vision of Dunkirk and the hospital scenes reminded me too much of the photographic settings of Atlanta before the arrival of the Union army.
OK, that said this is an extremely powerful and well written story, with a wonderful cameo performance by Vanessa Redgrave (who is remarkable in every film she appears in - even if momentarily). Brenda Blethyn also puts in a blinder of a performance - albeit brief.
I don't want to give too much of the story away because there are some surprising twists and turns as the film evolves. It begins at a country house and centres on the two daughters of the family - young woman Cecily and child Briony, and their relationship with housekeeper's son Robbie who has been supported through University and intends to become a doctor.
Then one fateful evening Robbie mistakedly sends a letter revealing his true feelings for Cecily using Briony as his intermediary. As the evening unfolds there is a 'rape' and a chain of events are unleashed because of Briony's feelings for Robbie. Four years later Robbie is in Dunkirk and Cecily and Briony are nursing in hospitals in London. Briony has a chance to atone for the wrongs she did.
This is a remarkable story - but is this a remarkable film - I'm not certain, which is why I'm giving this a rating of 8/10.

2 Days in Paris

Starring Julie Delphy and Adam Goldberg. If you like Woody Allen then you'll enjoy this - a similar style. If you don't like Woody Allen - you'll probably still enjoy this tale of American Jack & French born Marion, two years into their relationship and their couple of days to visit Marion's parents and Marion's flat (upstairs from her parents). The other star of this film is a cat - dropped off by the couple on their way through Paris to a short break in Venice, and now being collected on their way back to New York. In fact one of funniest scenes I have ever watched in a movie involves the cat, clutched in Marion's arms as she and her mother have a furious row in French whilst Jack watches, uncomprehendingly. Much of the humour of the film derives from Jack's inability to speak or understand French, and the unwillingness of the French to speak English. During the two days the couple seem to meet all Marion's past lovers (possibly present lovers in Jack's view) and there are several wonderful taxi journeys where the drivers flirt, insult, argue, propagandise and generally philosphise with Marion. Marion gets them thrown out of a restaurant, and a taxi, Jack gets arrested and Jack begins to believe that she is out to bed the entire male population of Paris. Along the road we get quite a wry examination of a relationship, and some quite profound thoughts on what goes on between men and women. At the end of the two days Jack declares 'We've been together for two years but I really don't know you at all'. He's wrong though, and things do end well - sort of. This film is really a joy and highly recommended 8/10