Critical Consensus: Atonement is Certified Fresh, One Missed Call Not Screened

This
week at the movies, we’ve got cell phone shivers (One Missed Call,
starring Shannyn Sossamon and
Edward Burns) and a sweeping war drama/romance (Atonement,
starring Keira Knightley and
James McAvoy). What do the critics have to say?

The
period romance/war drama
Atonement has been generating some serious Oscar
buzz, and critics say it’s a worthy awards-season entry. Based upon
Ian McEwan‘s
widely praised novel, Atonement tells the story of Brionly (Saoirse
Ronan), a 13-year-old who (intentionally or not) sabotages a budding romance
between her posh sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and the more blue-collar Robbie (James McAvoy); with World War II on the horizon, all three of their lives will
change forever. Critics say director
Joe Wright‘s adaptation does an outstanding
job of translating the source material’s multilayered complexity to the screen
while maintaining a riveting sense of irony and romantic longing throughout;
strong performances from Knightley, McAvoy, and newcomer Ronan don’t
hurt, either. At 85 percent on the Tomatometer, Atonement is not only
Certified Fresh, it’s the statistical equal of the previous Wright-Knightley collabo,
Pride and Prejudice. (Read our interviews with Wright
here and McAvoy
here; also, check out
RT’s Editors’ Picks for 2007, since Atonement
made several of our lists.)

It
appears the folks behind
One Missed Call forgot to add film critics to
their "friends and family" plan, since the movie wasn’t screened before release.
In this remake of a J-horror flick of the same name, people find audio of the
final moments of their lives on voicemail — before they’ve even expired. Kids,
stop calling those 900 numbers and guess that Tomatometer.
 

“To shreds, you say?”

Also
opening this week in limited release:

• 
  The Killing of John Lennon, the
  story of Mark David Chapman’s descent into madness, is at 48 percent on the Tomatometer.

• The Korean slash-fest
  A Bloody Aria is at 33 percent.

  
  
  
  Chapman considers a blind purchase.
   

And congratulations to m_ioannidis for guessing Alien vs. Predator: Requiem‘s 16 percent Tomatometer last week! Makes you just want to go out and facehug somebody.

Recent
James McAvoy Movies:
—————————————
89% — Starter for Ten (2007)
58% — Becoming Jane (2007)
88% — The Last King of Scotland (2006)
76% —
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
(2005)
50% — Rory O’Shea Was Here (2005)