Picking Through the NYT Mag's 2007 Breakthroughs

This week's New York Times Magazine features 15 actors who had "breakthrough" performances in 2007. It's a nice glossy yearbook even though some of the photos are too artistic for my taste. There are some online pieces that complement the magazine:

+ NYT Mag editor at large Lynn Hirschberg narrates an audio slideshow of the magazine photos while making some odd observations:

• "The Assassination of Jesse James by the 'Outlaw' Robert Ford." Uh? Really small, but how do you make that mistake - by that I mean where does it even come from? Oh well, great to see Casey Affleck as first up here.
  
• Jim Sturgess - I loved him in Across the Universe, but saying "he will have one of the biggest careers that anyone will ever witness" seems a little much at this point.
• Edith Piaf, as played by Marion Cotillard, is "probably one of the most well-known singers of all time." If that were true, La Vie en Rose would have been a box-office smash.
  
• Seth Rogen has created a character that will carry him "throughout the next 50 years of his career." Ay, I hope he finds more defining characters in that time.
• Hal Holbrook - fine, great, I liked him, but WHERE is Emile Hirsch in this group?! This is an even more incredible snub than his lack of an Oscar nomination.
  
• Ellen Page is "this year's special star." Fine - truth be told, Hirschberg's accompanying article is one of the more concisely convincing pieces I've yet read about Page's talent. Makes me feel like she succeeded despite Diablo Cody's writing of Juno MacGuff's character, not because of it.
• Josh Brolin - No Country for Old Men is covered, but shouldn't there have also been mention of his 2007 work in American Gangster, In the Valley of Elah, and Grindhouse?
  

+ Ryan McGinley's music video, "Shooting Stars," offers a behind-the-scenes look at the photo shoot:

• The comedy in this is presumably unintentional - but really, really great. Each of the actors is placed in what look to be extremely uncomfortable settings and positions (laying down on ice, standing in front of fireworks or a fire, sitting in the snowy woods or a smoky cave, wading in cold surf, Seth Rogen feeding geese in a park?) while wearing a "What am I doing here?" expression on their face (best exhibited by Sienna Miller, Michael Cera, Casey Affleck and Josh Brolin). The music works, though.

+ Jake Paltrow - Gwyneth's brother - directs the short film Breakthroughs, in which 8 of the 15 breakthrough actors discuss the actors that inspired them:

• The beginning of this was really cool.
• Casey Affleck is a lot cooler than Ben Affleck.
• Ellen Page - "I loved Jurassic Park. I thought Laura Dern was super cool....and I just thought, how cool is this person?"
• Jim Sturgess (on River Phoenix - "This guy is very cool") is going to be really cool in future roles.
• James McAvoy's accent is pretty cool.
• Amy Ryan is cooler than Helene McCready.
• Paul Dano is cooler than I thought.
• Marion Cotillard's piece would have been cooler had she been speaking French.
• James Brolin has some cool insights, but he's not quite as cool as he thinks he is.

Neither am I.

REVIEW: Atonement (B)

Background: Not being an avid reader of historical romance novels, I missed the mania in 2001 for British author Ian McEwan's Atonement. The book's success no doubt paved the way for Joe Wright's (Pride and Prejudice) adaptation starring Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice, Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy) and James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland; TCON: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe). Also look for Benedict Cumberpatch and Romola Garai from Amazing Grace. The screenplay was adapted by Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons), who is almost certain to receive an Oscar nomination. In fact, look for Atonement to receive 10 or more nominations (including Best Picture) - it's been anticipated for over a year and is typical Oscar fare (see: The English Patient, with which it is already being compared).

Synopsis: On a rural estate in England in the summer of 1935, post-grads Cecilia Tallis (Knightley) and Robbie Turner (McAvoy) are spending the hot days flirting, fighting, and fooling around with each other, to the concern and confusion of Cecilia's 13 year-old sister Briony (Saoirse Ronan). One fateful night Cecilia witnesses the rape of her teenage cousin, and in a moment of jealousy and uncertainty, she implicates Robbie as the rapist, who is immediately sent away to prison and eventually the war abroad. His relationship with Cecilia is torn apart, and both lovers live in unbearable misery. As the war drags on, Briony succumbs to the guilt of her actions and attempts to make amends with Cecilia and Robbie, who are at this point truly suffering from the distance between them. Flash forward 50 years, and Briony is now a bestselling author. In her final book she tells the complete story of what happened to Cecilia and Robbie, and how she desired to atone for her sin.

I Loved:
+ The cinematography - sweeping shots, great angles, and an impressive long take on the beach.
+ The ending, which totally surprised me.

I Liked:
+ The musical score, except for the times when it was ruined by maniacal typewriter effects.
+ The casting of James McAvoy and Keira Knightley - they had believable chemistry.

I Disliked:
- Some dragging scenes that could have used more editing.
- Romola Garai's stilted performance as the 18 year-old Briony.

I Hated:
- Nothing, with the exception of the typewriter sounds here and there.

Grade:
Writing - 9
Acting - 9
Production - 9
Emotional Impact - 8
Music - 5
Significance - 3

Total: 43/50= 86% = B

Last Word: Although the ending adds a significant twist to the plot, there are no real surprises with what kind of movie Atonement is. Fans of the classic British period pieces will enjoy it, along with tragic romantics. I don't really consider myself either of those, but I was really impressed with the cinematography, acting, and finale. I don't know that Atonement will be any more memorable than its peers (The English Patient, A Very Long Engagement), though its actors and director (Wright is 35) are young enough that the movie will likely go down as a contemporary classic, whether it wins Oscar or not. I'm excited to continue seeing James McAvoy get meaty roles, and I'd like to see Keira Knightley (who is disconcertingly thin) take more of these roles instead of the silly Pirates of the Caribbean fare. Regarding Ian McEwan - eh, I don't know that I have any new interest in epic romance novels. Atonement actually seemed pretty unoriginal until the ending, but I guess I can't complain about a lack of story depth if I don't read the book.