Sopping, sexy magazine cover feeds my Atonement fire

I am obsessed with all things Atonement: Atonement the film, directed by Joe Wright and starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley; Atonement the soundtrack, composed by Pride and Prejudice's Dario Marianelli (I'm listening to it as I write this); Atonement the novel, written by the lyrical Ian McEwan; and now, the Entertainment Weekly feature, which includes a sexed-up photo shoot which could be compared in lustiness to last year's David and Victoria Beckham W photo shoot.

In the EW interview with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, the two reveal the dirt behind their (dare I say it?...incredible) love scene in the film. They both speak remarkably candidly, and the interview even begins with Keira excusing herself to fetch her cigarettes. They seem close, but not too close, not Mr. and Mrs. Smith-close.

Favorite parts of the interview:

[on the love scene]
James: I've seen actors who really fancy each other and are indeed f---ing, and it's rubbish.
Keira: In fact, a lot of directors say, "Don't f--- each other" because it'll ruin it.

[on the "c-word" used in the film]
James: We call each other it all the time!

[on her 2006 Oscar nomination for Pride and Prejudice]
Keira: I knew that I hadn't got a f---ing hope in actually winning it.
(This was the year of Reese Witherspoon and Felicity Huffman.)


I personally don't expect Oscar nominations for either of them, but if Oscar does come through for the Atonement actors, I hope that it recognizes both of them...or just James McAvoy. In the movie, Keira delivers a beautifully tumultuous performance by my standards, but the story was really about James's character and Keira's Cecila Tallis could almost be considered a supporting character found only in Robbie Turner's lovesick fantasies. (Don't take that the wrong way. Atonement doesn't pull a Sixth Sense or anything.) I found James's boyish, concupiscently-driven Robbie to be a genuine, flawed protagonist that I wanted so badly to find true happiness, success and love. The film is separated into two parts, 1930 and 1934, and I found Robbie's change into mannish adulthood to be not only totally believable but heartbreakingly dire. As for Keira, as much as I love her, her whispery "Come back to me" attitude grew old with me.

My personal triumphs of the film include the lush location of the Tallis house, Miss Saorise Ronan's precocious 13-year-old version of Briony Tallis, the gorgeous untertones of Dario Marianelli's Golden Globe-winning score, and James McAvoy's unbelievable talent of looking twenty years old in one shot and thirty in the next. Love it all.

And love that Entertainment Weekly cover. Luckily, the entire interview is online for you here, and you don't have spend the $4 on the actual magazine. Unless, of course, like me, you want to have that cover to keep and treasure for the rest of your natural years.

Photo sources: www.james-mcavoy.net, EW.com