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Joe Wright has done an excellent job of conveying the tension building throughout the day, along with the lush location and photography. When the action moves to the second world war there is a stunning recreation of the beach at Dunkirk, done in one long take, exploring the different factions and reactions on the beach as they wait for help to arrive. James McAvoy is magnificient in his role as Robbie, quiet diginity and humanity personnified and will surely receive many nominations once awards season begins. Keira Knightley's exquisite beauty radiates through her scenes with James McAvoy, emotions bubbling underneath the surface and never quite fully expressed. Romola Garai has the slightly more challenging role of an older Briony, trying to atone for what she has done and never quite finding the relief she seeks. Vanessa Redgrave appears briefly as Briony in the present time, having put the story in a novel, making us question the truth of what we have seen. There are parallels with The English Patient, both stories told by a dying narrator, of love and loss against the backdrop of the war. There's even a cameo for Anthony Minghella as an interviewer. However, The English Patient's flashbacks were more straightforward. The central character, Briony, is a storyteller and that colours everything we see, along with the knowledge we gain at the end so we can put our own twist on things and choose which ending satisfies us. Although it is a period piece it has a contemporary feel and the themes resonate with a wide audience. Hopefully the revival of the British film industry will gain more momentum with this film, as it is due to open The Venice Film Festival and continue to showcase the talent we have in this country so we can attract investment to make more films of this standard here.
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