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Atonement (2007)
Great visuals, Superficial plot
Visuals and cinematography are mostly what carry this film, although the acting is good. The problem is how much one must suspend one's common sense to be satisfied with this film. The main plot line for the girl, Briony, works well, but it's almost as if we see all the other characters and plot lines through a 13-year-old's mind (albeit a precocious 13-year-old). Adults act as if they were all characters in her play, a play with characters like mindless pawns rather than intelligent, educated human beings. The central crisis--that a 13-year-old's testimony would be sufficient to override all evidence of innocence and divert the authorities from considering other possible suspects--is just not believable.
A truly great film, like a great book, is worthy of being mulled over. Atonement fails that test.
Much Ado About Nothing (1973)
Much Ado about Nothing
Admittedly I saw this when I was a teen, and haven't seen it since, but my recollection is of a bright, sprightly, and interesting version of Much Ado, set in the time of the Spanish-American war. So maybe this is a good version for those who aren't Shakespeare snobs or so jaded with Shakespeare that most versions fail to satisfy. I remembered Sam Waterston as Benedict for decades when the only other time I saw him on film was as the rather colorless narrator in Great Gatsby, and was happy to see him appear as a major character on Law and Order. Much Ado is my favorite Shakespeare comedy, and I saw an excellent production of it in London the year after this version was shown on TV, so I hardly think it could have been too lacking in overall quality or it wouldn't have held such a place in my memory.