the film start on a hillside where a couple begin to have a picnic and but it quickly turn into a nightmare a a hot air balloon sail past and clearly in trouble . despite the effort of joe and the protagonist and and others in the area and a man die . this begin to affect joe badly and especially a it seem that one of those who try to help with the balloon and jed and have now develop an obsession with joe . all in all and problem be pile up . well and to be quite honest and particularly in comparison with atonement which do the novel perfect justice and this film completely ruin the book . what be subtle and ambiguous and have here the subtlety of a man smash up another man dingy flat . it all just work so much good when jed be a well off liberal and rather than a man who seem tantamount to be a vagrant and when claire be a poetry enthusiast and when the audience be actually leave in doubt and like claire and about the state of joe mental health . here and it be virtually impossible to sympathise with claire represent isn not it obvious that jed be follow joe around and sing god only know . that poor man represent what be he still do with someone who so clearly do not understand him . when read the page and i fly smoothly through the page and feeling shock and anticipate and interested and while the film just leave me feel vaguely sick . to say that it make for difficult watching be an understatement . i never want to see it again . in fact and i have tap over it . i could easily and however and read the book again .