Brit film “Atonement” may have disappointed with its meagre haul from the Oscars, but I think I know one good reason why. There is something deeply creepy about the movie, in a Freudian kind of way. Ian McEwan’s story and the adaptation are fine enough. What I find creepy, and am surprised that other people do not see immediately, is just how alike the two leads, James McAvoy and Keira Knightley are. They have the same bone structure, the same physique, the same hair colouring… they could be twins. Their characters have a sexual relationship, but give McAvoy a close shave and scrub the make-up off Knightley and they could be mirror images of each other. They are both rather androgynous too – thin, flat chested, pale skinned – suggesting that beauty has become increasingly sexless. If McAvoy and Knightley are the future of movie stars, then perhaps evolution is trying to give us an early warning about the future of the sexes. Take another look at them side by side and see what you think.
