Healthy Living Books DVD

Rating: - Almost Great
Joe Wright's adaptation of Ian McEwan's beautiful novel is a passionately romantic account of how childhood feelings, betrayals and misunderstandings lead to the collapse of adult relationships. It is a film which has all many of the hallmarks of classic British movies; a hot summer in a country mansion; the ravages of war and class tension.

It is a lavishly directed film; the choice of shots superb. The close ups of Briony as she delivers her evidence without pause or hesitation; the views of the evacuation of Dunkirk shot in a beautiful warm summer's glow allowing the whole scenario a surrealsitic quality. The pace of the film and the changes in tempo are impressive. The music which is sentimental and romantic underscores the irony of the failures of love which the film reveals.

I enjoyed the quality of the acting this work, particularly in the claustrophobic country-house scenes at the start. The brevity of the adaptation did mean that some characters did feel rather lightweight and I missed the characterisation that the novel was able to develop.

The last scenes of the film do however leave a feeling of dissatisfaction; as an audience we have been asked to accept a premise only for it to be swept away- it's not that the ending doesn't work only that it makes you question the validity of all you have seen before.
The sense of doubt and uncertainty is annoying because this is a fine film .

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Rating: - McEwen's elemental tale epically and beautifully realised
If you're looking for a simple love story, beautifully rendered on an epic scale, then you will surely not be dissapointed after watching this. However, although the original novel has been regenerated here into a visually lush cinematic drama, I feel that to really experience it, to really 'get it', you will likely need to read the book as well.

Ian McEwen, the novel's author, isn't into 'simple love stories'. He deals with complex, fundamental themes, above all with human nature and its relationship to society and the natural world. Are we able to rationally direct our own lives, to write our own script? Or is the life of the individual forever doomed to be in the grip of more elemental forces beyond its control - the primal, animal forces within and the capricious, yet epic, forces without?

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Rating: - Just thought whatever
This film is boring, stupid and after seeing a film that was amazing the day before just thought whatever. Maybe unfair to have watched this after seeing another FAB film the day before, but oh well? stupid ending. didnt cry or anything as didnt give a damn! keira was rubbish in this and not convincing enough love story.... come on!

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Rating: - Is it me...?
I've watched the movie and read the reviews and my overpowering take out is something no one else seems to have felt ...that Bryony made a mistake.
An overactive imagination, a lonely child who sees plots and conspiracies everywhere, a desire to play detective and make sense of things just beyond her ken, a frustrated sense of authority; these are the things that brought her to make her judgement, surely. Nothing else makes any sense. If she knew it was a lie, why did she do it? There is woefully inadequate plot and/or character driven motivation for her behaviour to be fuelled by malice. There's a vague case for a woman scorned- she was adolescently in love with Robbie - but that's simply not born through in any other aspect of her behaviour, then or later. She doesn't exhibit any of the viciousness that would be necessary to do this dreadful betrayal. Because of that - it seeming to be a tragic error rather than a malevolent act - the rest of the film was absolutely illogical. It kept moving in bits. Characters behaved in a certain way in the first chunk - Cecilia spoilt,shallow and frankly pretty useless, Bryony naively mistaken but with some potential, - and totally differently in the next chunk - Cecilia saintly, capable, stalwart and suddenly happy to live in a slum, Bryony racked with guilt for her evil behaviour and being utterly unresourceful in every aspect of her life.
Robbie then wanders round France managing to completely avoid all aspects of war bar arriving late for a bizarre mass murder of identical adolescent girls. We then get a bit of Apocolype Now meets Brief Encounter at Dunkirk and then we're on the home stretch for the 'who cares' ending of pure fantasy. A clumsy, lumpen mess of a film that must have astounded the assorted cast and crew when it suddenly garnered every award going. Then again, look at Titanic.....

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Rating: - Completely Overrated
Initially I was not keen to watch this film as I have never rated Keira Knightly as a particularly good actress, but after being up for so many awards I thought I had to give it a try. I was very disappointed, the story seemed pointless, I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but to find out half the film didn't actually happen drove me mad, just like the 'it was all a dream' story lines made you feel there was no point to it. That said James McAvoy was very good and worthy of his nominations. Keira Knightly was hardly in it, was very unconvincing and I have no idea how she was up for any awards. I also feel she is far to thin to be promoted as a leading lady and example, but that has no bearing on the film. Watch it at your peril.