‘Atonement’ an all-around gem

One of the sexiest moments of the movie year comes along fairly early in the heart-rending, unpredictable English costume drama “Atonement.”

The scorching clinch against a bookcase between Keira Knightley’s gamine aristocrat in the liquid-emerald satin gown and James McAvoy’s ardent housekeeper’s son with the piercing light eyes gets interrupted by a bitter 13-year-old about to sabotage their love. But it is at that moment that we in the audience become wholly invested in the couple’s future and in today’s incredibly gorgeous period romance.