Chicago Tribune
- Highly Recommended
"...To say “Atonement” is well-danced is a gross understatement, particularly with the Joffrey company’s ability to move seamlessly through Martson’s idiosyncratic blend of modern and classical vocabulary. In truth, hers is an aesthetic I’ve at times found grating. Marston can get too in her head and overly rely on depictive gestures, selected as character signatures or indicative of some plot line."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...“Atonement” picks up momentum as it goes along, really getting its dramatic legs with the crime at the end of Act 1, building intensity with the raw, boldly etched expressionistic sections in Act 2 and forcefully culminating with the epilogue."
Chicago Reader
- Somewhat Recommended
"...When Briony appears again as an older woman (Victoria Jaiani, majestically present as always), the ballet resorts to text in a voiceover by Kate Strong that takes over the storytelling, in an alleged interview with Briony that both venerates and destroys the act of telling a story. It certainly undercuts by sheer existence the possibility of telling this story in movement. McEwan's novel depends on the contrast between meticulous minutiae and sedulously orchestrated obscurity, here beyond the choices and capabilities of too too solid flesh to convey."
Stage and Cinema
- Highly Recommended
"...Choreographer Cathy Marston's ballet adaption of Atonement layers the complexities of Ian McEwan's critically acclaimed novel with visually and musically stunning performances. The Joffrey Ballet co-produced this piece with Ballet Zürich, which premiered the ballet at the Zürich Opera House in Switzerland earlier this year. Marston masterfully conveys Atonement's complex narrative through dance, and Laura Rossi's music, performed by the Lyric Opera Orchestra, beautifully underscores the ballet's emotional highs and lows."
Chicago Stage and Screen
- Highly Recommended
"...If you have not read Ian McEwan’s esteemed novel by the same name or seen the award winning movie, you may want to read the synopsis of this ballet carefully before you experience the loveliness that the Joffrey has wrought. The plot is somewhat complex with multiple important characters, and the ending has a twisted surprise which could be interpreted as beautiful or horrible depending on your worldview."
Buzz Center Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...The Joffrey Ballet has a certain knack for literary adaptation. 'Atonement' is another installment in their archive of hits. Classic settings provide a perfect backdrop for provocative modern steps that take your breath away. 'Atonement' achieves romantic complexity without words, proving how universal feelings of heartbreak and longing are."
Third Coast Review
- Highly Recommended
"...I've often said that a film retelling will destroy a brilliant literary work and a mediocre book can make a great film. My example is Mario Puzo's potboiler, The Godfather, which was made into a classic film series by Francis Ford Coppola. My theory has been turned on its head twice with Atonement, adapted from the 2001 novel by Ian McEwan. The 2007 movie directed by Joe Wright struck the perfect balance of visual embellishment and adherence to the original storyline. The beauty, sensuality, and tragedy of doomed lovers comes to life again with the Joffrey Ballet's production, choreographed and directed by Cathy Marston."
Splash Magazine
- Highly Recommended
"...Marston’s new version of the book Atonement is one of the most exquisite dance interpretations I have ever witnessed on stage. Anyone who has read the book and seen the film, and loved both, will also love the ballet version."
NewCity Chicago
- Recommended
"...These strengths must be balanced against the intentionally underwhelming first half, which neglects ballet's basic joy in graceful, evocative movement. Act I is only partly redeemed by the second act's riveting but too-brief tableaux by the Joffrey's highly talented and expressive corps."
