Whilst many critics are hailing Atonement as a shoo-in for next year’s Oscars, I feel this talk to be a little hasty. Whilst an undoubtedly fine showcase of cinematography and overall production values, what this film is missing is actually the one thing it should have in bucket-loads: soul.

The first and final acts are generally very good. The story is established at an Evelyn Waugh-esque country estate, told alternately through the eyes of 13 year-old Briony (Saoirse Ronan) and dashing gardener Robbie (James McAvoy). The relationship which develops between Robbie and Cecilia (Keira Knightley) is observed with a mixture of fascination and horror by Briony, whose obsession soon has huge ramifications.

We are then moved at blinding speed to the BEF retreat in 1940. Robbie is now a soldier, and far away from his beloved. This sequence culminates in the film’s most famous scene, a masterful long-shot set on the beaches of Dunkirk. However, even this is not enough to prevent the niggling feeling that beneath this wonderful showcase of logistics we have somehow missed something. Robbie’s fall from grace never seems very far, and as the grown-up Briony (now working as a nurse in London) goes on her personal quest for atonement, it’s impossible to feel a true empathy. It’s not until Vanessa Redgrave appears and lends some much-needed gravitas that finally the film’s heart begins to beat. But by that stage it is a little too late.

The acting is good. The direction is good. The script is good. But the chemistry is somehow not quite right.