How I Spent My Snow Day-Or, A Few Things To Do On A Day Off

Cindy and I went to the most tedious movie we’ve witnessed in some time. It was not just tedious, the boom mic appeared in at least a dozen shots, in one the entire arm was visible. On top of that, the theatre next door must have been showing THE HISTORY OF BOMBS or something like that. Our theatre rumbled and at times our seats shook a little. Our only (well, not really, I’ll share others) redemption was that we went on a snow day and paid matinee prices.

Atonement is the story of a tragedy which befalls a young couple when the younger sister of the girl in the couple (Keira Knightley), makes a knowingly false accusation against the young man in the couple, played by James McAvoy. After being separated by prison and then war, it appears they get back together. That’s another redemption, a little twist at the end, but if you’re anything like the moviegoer I am, you’ll be ticked that it took so long to get you there. I hope I haven’t spoiled the film for you if you haven’t seen it, but that is basically the entire plot. There are no subplots.

There are three other redeeming elements in the film. The first is the appearance by Juno Temple, an up and coming actress from England. We first saw her as the daughter in Notes On A Scandal. You can’t miss her on screen. She’s a cute kid and the naturally wavy hair makes you wonder how a mom ever got a comb through it. Another redeeming element is the soundtrack. My friend Monda would love it. The music is peppered with the percussive sounds offered by the clack of a manual typewriter. I’d say the soundtrack is enough to drag you to the theatre, but please, only at matinee prices. The final element is that the younger sister who makes the accusation is a writer.

In fact, writing is given plenty of screen time in this otherwise bore of a film. However, a word of warning here; you’re going to see the C-word big as life, all forty feet of it…more than once.

So, apart from getting a new phone with functions I don’t understand, swimming two-thirds of a mile, eating for the second time in a week at the Mean Bean café, and studying for my master’s course, that’s my snow day. I hope you enjoyed yours.