Considering all the buzz and hype in 2007 I figured this movie would have a lot going for it, but not to be. I barely made it thru the 1st hour of the movie and didn't really connect with any of the characters. It's actually quite robotically written and acted. Atonement starts to kick into gear a bit once you realize the foundational storyline, but even then the payoff is limited. A lot of what supposedly makes the movie 'epic' (as advertised) also lacks a sense of reality. Much ado about precious little.