The period romance/war drama Atonement has been generating some serious Oscar buzz, and critics say it's a worthy awards-season entry. Based upon Ian McEwan's widely praised novel, Atonement tells the story of Brionly (Saoirse Ronan), a 13-year-old who (intentionally or not) sabotages a budding romance between her posh sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and the more blue-collar Robbie (James McAvoy); with World War II on the horizon, all three of their lives will change forever. Critics say director Joe Wright's adaptation does an outstanding job of translating the source material's multilayered complexity to the screen while maintaining a riveting sense of irony and romantic longing throughout; strong performances from Knightley, McAvoy, and newcomer Ronan don't hurt, either. At 85 percent on the Tomatometer, Atonement is not only Certified Fresh, it's the statistical equal of the previous Wright-Knightley collabo, Pride and Prejudice. (Read our interviews with Wright here and McAvoy here; also, check out RT's Editors' Picks for 2007, since Atonement made several of our lists.)

It appears the folks behind One Missed Call forgot to add film critics to their "friends and family" plan, since the movie wasn't screened before release. In this remake of a J-horror flick of the same name, people find audio of the final moments of their lives on voicemail -- before they've even expired. Kids, stop calling those 900 numbers and guess that Tomatometer.
 

"To shreds, you say?"

Also opening this week in limited release:

• The Killing of John Lennon, the story of Mark David Chapman's descent into madness, is at 48 percent on the Tomatometer.
• The Korean slash-fest A Bloody Aria is at 33 percent.

  
  Chapman considers a blind purchase.
   

And congratulations to m_ioannidis for guessing Alien vs. Predator: Requiem's 16 percent Tomatometer last week! Makes you just want to go out and facehug somebody.

Recent James McAvoy Movies:
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89% -- Starter for Ten (2007)
58% -- Becoming Jane (2007)
88% -- The Last King of Scotland (2006)
76% -- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)
50% -- Rory O'Shea Was Here (2005)