I am pleased to say this is not another version of The Notebook. I don't mind The Notebook. It was a good film with a great story of lost love. But I didn't go to Atonement to see a carbon copy. I went to see why it's winning so many awards and in line to win plenty more at the Academy Awards. The movie's poster above is iconic of the film itself. Just don't get caught up in the appearance of romance being the driving force in this cinematic adventure. That little girl separating the two big characters is indicative of the entire movie itself.

The reason I enjoyed Atonement so much is the way it moves the plot along. We've all seen the romance movies where they fall in love and then get separated and find each other again to live happily ever after. Without ruining the ending, this is not one of those movies. Atonement unfolds the relationship between Keira Knightley and James McAvoy through the viewpoint of a young girl. A girl living in the mansion that Knightley's character also lives in and McAvoy's family works in. She is not simply a pawn to show this love story. Her deep sense of imagination is the driving force that causes the plot to work the way it does. Think of her as as much a part of the story as R2-D2 and C-3P0 had on Star Wars. The love is a forbidden one. The classic rich girl loves bum guy scenario. McAvoy kicks everything into motion by accidentally giving the young girl the wrong letter to deliver to Knightley. In fact, if you've seen the comedy Overnight Delivery with Paul Rudd and Reese Witherspoon, it's basically the same idea. I can't say what's in the letter, but let's just say it is THE reason Atonement gets an R-rating.

So what makes it a Best Picture-winning movie? The way Atonement goes down isn't as simple as most movies. In fact, it's a mix and match of flashbacks and present time. At times it's downright confusing. You get to see the little girl's viewpoint of the relationships. And as you can imagine, she doesn't see everything the way it is. It makes you wonder if this girl knows what's really going on. The confusion and misdirection, all planned out by the director, comes to fruition as the movie closes. It doesn't let the audience figure it out for themselves. It's more direct than that. And I can guarantee you it's not what you think. This movie has a twist, although it's not the kind you see in Saw or Fight Club. It's a small detail explored at the very last minute that forces you to connect with the girl who is now all grown up. To understand how her mind works. Her testimonial at the end of the film makes everything the 2 hour piece that much better.

Why it shouldn't win Best Picture: Although I understand the love story is not the central theme, it got lost in the fuss. In reality, the film let's you follow a young girl's discovery of the truth and how to deal with it. That's why it's called Atonement and not Love Me Love You or some other hokey title. I just never really bought into the passion between McAvoy and Knightley. I didn't believe their love. The lack of a backstory or dialogue with the two together alone pushes the romance in the backburner. Although I'm glad Atonement didn't get sappy, it could have done a better job making me give a crap for how the two feel about each other. In the end, that may have been the biggest downfall of the film.

        out of 5 NCT's