Watched Atonement last night and I was ready to tout it as the best of last year's best picture nominees, until the ending...which was wretched.So wretched in fact, that it nearly made me forget about the exceptional story of Ian McEwan or the excellent performances from James McAvoy and Keira Knightly.
My relationship with Atonement has been heavy-handed, after the NYT named it book of the year in 06., I tried to read it, twice, and neither time did I make it past the scenes from Brioney's play. I would imagine that McEwan's novel ends the same way as the film. Does anyone know for sure?
For those counting, here's how I rate last year's Best Picture nominees...a nice thought heading into this year's festivities...please comment the same if you have seen them all:
1. I would've given the Oscar to Juno
2. followed closely by Michael Clayton
3. There Will Be Blood
4. Atonement
5. No Country for Old Men (If you checked, I wouldn't be surprised to find that this is possibly the EXACT opposite of the way the films finished in the actual voting)
