by Istiko.
(i lovelovelove this photographer)

Atonement. finally rented it out after so many months just because i was in the mood for a solid movie. and i wasn't disappointed for it left me feeling incredibly unsettled when the credits rolled. the whole story could be easy summed up in 3 lines or less, but it felt so much more than that.

i know i've gushed over lots of movies this past year
and they may not be everybody's cup 'o tea,
but if you need a reason to see this movie,
i'll attempt to give you three (haha. it rhymes!):

1. James McAvoy & Saoirse Ronan. McAvoy not so much for his looks but for his very worthy performance as Robbie, sent away to war to be punished for a crime/act of passion (who knows?) he didn't commit. and Saoirse as Briony, Keira Knightley's 13-yr-old sister who in spiteful jealousy/youthful ignorance(again i say this, who really knows?) single-handedly destroys Robbie's and subsequently her sister's chance at a future together. and no, not Keira. i was irritated by her in the beginning of the movie but she redeemed herself in her scenes with the older Briony played by Romola Garai, who was better in I Capture the Castle than here in Atonement. but still. it was too little too late for me to warm up to her).

2. the direction. beautiful beautiful cinematography. if you liked that campy Wong Li Lin movie, The Leap Years, because of its this-is-so-NOT-Singapore-lah scenes, then you'ld love the wide camera shots in Atonement. the much talked about unedited long camera shot when Robbie stumbles into the evacuation at Dunkirk? just wow.

3. the music. the use of the typewriter? Ingeniously poignant. what more can i say?

yeah. that's it.

+

i have this odd fascination with The Beatles. whenever i hear their songs i keep wishing that i was born in their era- of hippies and revolutionary protests against the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movements, Singapore's separation from Malaysia.. things were really happening back then. and you can clearly hear it in their musical timeline- from upbeat optimistic tempos like "She Loves You (Yeah Yeah Yeah)" to the psychadelic sounded-like-they-were-on-drugs "I Am the Walrus" to protests against the war "Strawberry Fields Forever" & "Revolution" and then back to the peaceful "All You Need is Love".

yes i've been watching Across The Universe again.
so sue me.

+


Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In 77 and 69 revolution was in the air
I was born too late to a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

When pop stars still remained a myth
And ignorance could still be bliss
And when God saved the Queen she turned a whiter shade of pale
When my mom and dad were in their teens
and anarchy was still a dream
and the only way to stay in touch was a letter in the mail

When record shops was still on top
and vinyl was all that they stocked
and the super info highway was still drifting out in space
kids were wearing hand me downs,
and playing games meant kick arounds
and footballers still had long hair and dirt across their face

-Sandi Thom