Written by Christopher Hampton based on the novel by Ian McEwan. Directed by Joe Wright. Starring James MacAvoy, Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan and Vanessa Redgrave. U.K. 2007.

Link to trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/atonement/ 

I know I haven’t uploaded in a while and I am sorry.  I’ve had “Atonement” almost ready to go for a couple of weeks but sometimes, a girl’s gotta work a lot and a grandma has to go through some really long, painful ordeals at the dentist that leave her much more happy to stay home and cuddle up than eager to traipse around with her dorky granddaughter. I don’t want to put the pressure of the camera on Grandma every time I see her.   I am learning that this is one negative about starting this venture.  Every time we see a movie now, Grandma gets a little nervous.  She can see me reaching for the camera and her body stiffens slightly.  We still have so much fun and I am so glad that we are doing this.  We are elated and touched by all your responses.  But sometimes I feel like a Grandma torturer.  So I thought, for this Vlog, I’d get that feeling out in the open.  You’re privy to a small “behind the scenes” section in this “Atonement” review.  This was an especially unique series of days and movie going and visits with Grandma because the weather was so awful and we were both pretty sick and grumpy and it shows.  Usually, we giggle straight through the whole process.   

I think whenever you start a project, whenever you take an idea and make it a reality, something is lost.  In your head, the color blue you wanted to paint your walls elevates the whole room to a Parisian chic status.  In reality, you’re a bad painter and there are permanent drip spots on your carpet and the blue makes you feel a little like an eight year old.  You look at it and wonder whether you should go buy some glow-in-the-dark star stickers at the Discovery Store and just give in to the fact that you aren’t that realized mid-twenties superstar you thought you were.  The walls are painted and you can’t imagine anymore how amazing your room would look if only the walls were blue… 

That’s how I feel a little.  I’ve been talking about my grandma blog for years and now it is up and I’ve taken Grandma and made her a sort of art project.  She is such a good sport and in her own way, she likes the attention… I think.  But I want to make sure she still enjoys going to the movies with me, too.  It was always that simple.  We just went to the movies.  We liked hanging out with each other.  Now, of course it is MORE, a good more but more all the same…  I don’t want to just exploit her inherent cuteness (well, I do, but not ALL the time).  So we went to a movie a couple of weeks ago.  We saw “Untraceable.”  It was god-awful. We went to the Macaroni Grill.  Grandma got a pizza.  We were both incredibly disturbed by Colin Hanks being eaten by a tank of liquid acid and Grandma couldn’t believe how haggard Diane Lane looked in HD.  I was like, get over it already.  She’s superfly.  Grandma was like, well, it just makes me feel better that she has wrinkles like everyone else.  

I left my camera in the car.