The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 387

Books The Sweetest Dream I Atonement (Ian McEwan, Cape) Shortlisted for this year's Booker Prize, Atonement begins as a country house novel of the 30s, before Films Crazybeautiful (Dir: John Stockwell, 12) Wealthy wild child (Kirsten Dunst) and swotty poor boy (Jay Hernandez) meet and fall in love. "A teen romance with a bit of an edge," wrote though Heat thought the ending "schmaltzy beyond The critics agreed, however, that the cast was first rate. "Dunst, still only 19, gets a chance to play dark, dirty and deranged," said the Observer, while the Sunday Telegraph swooned at Hernandez's "formidable (Doris Lessing, Flamingo) Lessing's latest novel, though set in a Hampstead house, takes in Aids-stricken Africa, feminism and communism as it travels through the last 50 years. "Once again," wrote the London Evening Standard, "she has said things that are guaranteed to annoy everyone, especially the sisters and the earnestly political." A "wry, disillusioned account of the manners, morals and lost causes of the 60s and 70s" said the Sunday Telegraph. The Centre of the World (Dir: Wayne Wang, 18) A dot.com tycoon pa for a lap dancer to spend the weekend with him in Vegas (above), though sex is meant to be off the menu.

Time 9 1 6 I Heat Sunday Telegraph Independent on Sunday 7 Sunday Telegraph 7 London Evening Standard 8 Guardian 4 Sunday Times 7 Average 6.6 0i! 6 Empire 4 Observer 6 The Circle (Dir: Jafar Panahi, PG) Banned in the film-maker's own country, Iran, this "compelling, humane and deeply serious film" (Guardian) paints a bleak picture of women's lives. The Independent on Sunday said it revealed a society where "men make and break the rules and where women proceed with caution, cloaked and The Star added: "Hard going but ultimately rewarding." moving to more familiar McEwan terrain as he writes about the British evacuation from Dunkirk. "Subtle as well as powerful, adeptly encompassing comedy as well as atrocity, Atonement is a richly intricate book," wrote the Sunday Times. Surprisingly, the Mail found the first half of the novel far superior, as did the Sunday Telegraph, which applauded its "blazing erage 5.6 Out. took a dim view of this i arthouse erotica, accusing Wang of using "a young, slim ihiris i woman's ass" to "put pretentious bums on "For all its nudity and simulated sex, it's less erotic than cold tapioca," added the Star.

TotalRim 4 OK! 4 Time Oiit 2 Daily Star 1 Independent on Sunday 4 Average 3 Guardian 8 "5 9 8 7 7.4 Hotdog Guardian Independent on Siinday Sunday Times Daily Star Average We assess the critics' reviews for the latest shows and releases on a scale of 1 (panned) to 10 (adored). By Matthew Bell Daily Mail Sunday Times Sunday Telegraph Independent on Sunday Average The digested read Too busy to read the hot books? Let us read them for you I- Atonement by Ian McEwan (Cape, 16.99). Condensed in the style of the original had to make it home, back to Cecilia. Briony changed the putrid dressing. She had abandoned writing to become a nurse.

Her first efforts had been rejected by Elizabeth Bowen for being too derivative of Virginia Woolf now she must atone for her sins. Cecilia had never answered her letter, so visited unannounced. "I'm sorry," she said, as Robbie stepped out from behind the door. Sixty years have passed and soon all the protagonists will be dead, thought Briony as she left for a celebration of her life in letters. Only then, can the truth be told.

This is my final draft. What would be served by persuading you that Robbie died at Dunkirk and Cecilia in the Balham Underground disaster7 I want them to be happy. But what really happened? How can the novelist achieve atonement when she is also God? ashamed by his attraction7 "1 want to kiss your cunt," he wrote. There, for his eyes only, he had admitted the truth. "Run along and give this to Cee," said Robbie to Briony.

Only as he entered the house, did he realise lie had slipped the wrong letter into the envelope. "I am most dreadfully he began as Cecilia approached His words were cut off by her rampant tongue. Briony interrupted their passion. How violent he looked, Briony thought "I've been attacked," sobbed Lola later that evening. "It was Robbie," exclaimed Briony.

A Robbie saw a child's limb dangle from a tree as he headed towards Dunkirk. The shrapnel wound in his side jagged on his belt, leaking blood and pus. Three and a half years in prison for a rape he didn't commit compounded his bitterness. He Briony gazed out the window at the leonine yellow sunlight reflecting off the fiery gravel How could she have let herself be outmanoeuvred by her cousin Lola? As her fury abated self-pity was so unattractive, especially in a 13-year-old Briony spied her sister Cecilia talking to Robbie. As Briony imagined their conversations, Cecilia undressed to her undergarments before diving into the water.

What turmoil of emotions had possessed her? Robbie and Cecilia had been friends since childhood, but had grown apart at Cambridge. How best to convey his feelings without invoking contrition or hauteur7 True, he no longer felt deference to her class, but could it be he was And if you really are pressed: The digested read, The Oxford companion to 20th-century English literature 16 The Editor September 29.