Occasionally, as in the case of Atonement, a film adaptation surpasses the original novel.

On one level this is a faithful version of Ian McEwan's intriguing, melancholic love story but it enhances his words in ways only good filmmaking can, with its striking lighting and inventive soundtrack.

With the solid base of Christopher Hampton's excellent script, director Joe Wright makes the most of his good-looking cast (Keira Knightley and James McEvoy are gorgeous as the lovers) and deftly hurdles the tricky terrain of child actors, especially with young Saoirse Ronan as 13-year-old Briony.

The result is a lush period piece infused with McEwan's uneasy undercurrents of nascent sexuality and the questionable nature of childhood innocence. Particularly for those who haven't read the book, Atonement is worth watching twice to appreciate the subtle complexities of plot and filming.