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Nebs
Joined: Wed Nov 29, 2006 8:01 pm Posts: 6385
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Atonement
AtonementQuote: Atonement is a 2007 European romantic suspense war film directed by Joe Wright. It is a film adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name by Ian McEwan. The film stars James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, and Saoirse Ronan. It was produced by Working Title Films and filmed throughout the summer of 2006 in England and France, but especially at estate Goodson, located in East Grinstead, West Sussex, home of the famous Dame Fay Goodson. Distributed worldwide by Universal Studios (with the North American release handled through its Focus Features division), it was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 7 September 2007, and in North America on 7 December 2007.
Atonement opened the 64th Venice International Film Festival, making Wright, at the age of 35, the youngest director ever to open the event. The film also opened the 2007 Vancouver International Film Festival.
The film won an Oscar for the Best Original Score at the 80th Academy Awards, and was nominated for six others, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Saoirse Ronan). At the 61st British Academy Film Awards, it won the Best Film of the Year, and the Production Design award.
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Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:40 am |
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Gulli
Jordan Mugen-Honda
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 9:53 am Posts: 13400
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Re: Atonement
http://www.worldofkj.com/articleIndex.php?tid=30796Beautifully crafted film, tastes far better then regular Oscar Bait. Quote: It may still be early in the game but the Oscar hopefuls are already flexing their muscles with festival screenings and early reviews. But 5 into 10-15(?) will not go and some films will have to fall short. And if one of the films cast aside turns out to be Atonement it won't be because of a lack of quality. This Joe Wright directed adaptation of the 2001 novel of the same name is a sublime slice of cinema that touches on and deals with themes most other films could only dream to handle with half as much finesse.
A tale of regret, love denied and the ghostly hell of war Atonement begins in an English country estate in the mid 1930s as a terrible lie by a young Briony Tallis (played in her younger guise by Saoirse Ronan) rips apart the lives of several characters, in particular those of her sister Cecilia (Kiera Knightley) and her lover Robbie (James McAvoy). The film then casts forward 5 years to the Second World War as the fallout of that lie is laid out before us and the question of how the main players involved deal with its destructive ramifications.
McAvoy builds on the promise shown in last years "The Last King of Scotland" portraying Robbie with an understated class, while Kiera Knightley adds humility to a character that could so easily have been nothing more then a shallow caricature. Elsewhere praise should be given to Saoirse Ronan as she delivers a performance filled with youthful distrust and jealousy. With these players firing on all cylinders (including Romola Garai in the role of Briony as an 18 year old nurse) Atonement was never going to be let down in the thespian department, and tied to the superbly structured story this film pushes past any derisive Oscar Bait jibes to be lauded as a complete package in its own right. The impressive attention to detail of the sets and the inventive score (which even incorporates the click of the typewriter in the music) also warrant mention as well.
The flow is serenely handled, the first act doesn't hurry its points and through the usage of viewing certain scenes from multiple character angles it conveys the sense of misjudgement that plays its part in the terrible lie of the film. In a sense it's a film split into two sections, first all setup and mood, the second consequence and response. And its in this second section the film really brings its points home. There are many human emotions and for most to convey them isn't a difficult task, but to convey regret and a longing to right wrongs is a difficult thing. It can often come off as fake and forced a simple pained expression or response of sadness, with Atonement we see it dealt with in a far more realistic manner. There is no easy answer, no payoff; the wrong can't ever be retracted. One can't do anymore then attempt to do right from there on in penance.
From a technical standpoint one should also mention the Dunkirk tracking shot. It's a marvel to watch it unfold through its uninterrupted 7 minutes. It doesn't cut corners at any point, the entire beach and its surroundings in view throughout, it's a marvellously affecting image of the ragged destructive madness of war and its messy endgame.
What can one take from Atonement in the end? A lesson that we are all looking for a moment of happiness or contentment. Be it to address your wrongs or to finally find time with the one you love. It's a message that is so often butchered in a sea of Hollywood schmaltz and artificial results. Atonement offers this with no easy denouncement, only the lesson and in the end the lesson is the most important. If Oscar has brains this will be at the big table come next year.
_________________ Rosberg was reminded of the fuel regulations by his wheel's ceasing to turn. The hollow noise from the fuel tank and needle reading zero had failed to convay this message
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Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:59 am |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am Posts: 34876 Location: Minnesota
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Re: Atonement
Since this comes out this next week I may as well bump up this thread.
This looks like the best film of the year. I've watched the trailer several times, and the last time it almost made me cry. I'm hoping for a tearjerker, but I'd also like a happy ending (I doubt it's possible but for some reason some people seem to feel cheated by the ending so I'm curious why that it). So we'll see. I don't know how it ends, and don't want to before seeing it. I had thought about reading the book first, but think I'll wait and watch the movie because otherwise I might end up disappointed in the movie if it doesn't follow the book as well as I'd like it to. Then I might read the book.
Anyway, I'm dying to see it. The cinematography, music, etc... look amazing.
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Mon Dec 03, 2007 12:42 am |
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Christian
Team Kris
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 5:02 pm Posts: 27584 Location: The Damage Control Table
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Re: Atonement
Dude, the title alone should give an indication of what the ending might be. Anyway I have read the novel and the end is powerful. Hopefully it translates well on screen.
_________________A hot man once wrote: Urgh, I have to throw out half my underwear because it's too tight.
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Mon Dec 03, 2007 12:58 am |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am Posts: 34876 Location: Minnesota
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Re: Atonement
Christian wrote: Dude, the title alone should give an indication of what the ending might be. Anyway I have read the novel and the end is powerful. Hopefully it translates well on screen. Not necessarily . I mean, obviously it won't be happy, but maybe it won't be totally heartbreaking. It depends on how it plays out.
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Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:46 pm |
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Christian
Team Kris
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 5:02 pm Posts: 27584 Location: The Damage Control Table
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Re: Atonement
Mike wrote: Christian wrote: Dude, the title alone should give an indication of what the ending might be. Anyway I have read the novel and the end is powerful. Hopefully it translates well on screen. Not necessarily . I mean, obviously it won't be happy, but maybe it won't be totally heartbreaking. It depends on how it plays out. In either case, grab a tissue.
_________________A hot man once wrote: Urgh, I have to throw out half my underwear because it's too tight.
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Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:48 pm |
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Gulli
Jordan Mugen-Honda
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 9:53 am Posts: 13400
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Re: Atonement
Christian wrote: Mike wrote: Christian wrote: Dude, the title alone should give an indication of what the ending might be. Anyway I have read the novel and the end is powerful. Hopefully it translates well on screen. Not necessarily . I mean, obviously it won't be happy, but maybe it won't be totally heartbreaking. It depends on how it plays out. In either case, grab a tissue. You can say that again
_________________ Rosberg was reminded of the fuel regulations by his wheel's ceasing to turn. The hollow noise from the fuel tank and needle reading zero had failed to convay this message
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Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:55 pm |
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Andrew
Lover of Bacon
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2005 7:05 pm Posts: 4197 Location: Sherwood Forest, UK
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Re: Atonement
Didn't realise i hadn't posted here, and i can only echo most of what gulli said. McAvoy was the standout for me, along with the score (such a wonderful score). Visually stunning, certain scenes literally take your breath away with their immense style and beauty. Technically brilliant, the dunkirk scene is the scene of the year and i'd be amazed if it wasn't a front-runner come oscar time in a whole host of categories. If it loses out on cinematography i'll boycott the oscars.
Minor flaw - The final act jolts the flow and took me 'out of the film' for a moment, but once you realise why it works just fine.
I should add i hadn't read the book before seeing the movie, so this probably heightened the emotional impact somewhat.
A strong A and worth revisiting many times.
_________________ ... and there's something about this city today, like all the colours conspired to overwhelm the grey...
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Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:26 am |
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Riggs
We had our time together
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 4:36 am Posts: 13270 Location: Vienna
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Re: Atonement
A mixed bag for me. The first half was wonderful and worked perfectly but the second half kinda lost me now and then. It wasn't half as heartbreaking as expected and I couldn't feel the big love between Robbie and Cecilia. And Cecilia is barely in the movie for the second half. The acting was very good all around, especially child Briony. You could see there was a lot missing from the book (which I'm reading right now). Overall it was a pretty good movie, just not the masterpiece I wanted. B+
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Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:47 am |
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Gulli
Jordan Mugen-Honda
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 9:53 am Posts: 13400
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Re: Atonement
loyalfromlondon wrote: C+ Just didn't move me. Pretty sets, pretty cinematography, pretty cast, and a pretty dull story. Am I broken? It means your beyond repair.
_________________ Rosberg was reminded of the fuel regulations by his wheel's ceasing to turn. The hollow noise from the fuel tank and needle reading zero had failed to convay this message
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Wed Dec 05, 2007 8:35 pm |
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Christian
Team Kris
Joined: Thu Oct 28, 2004 5:02 pm Posts: 27584 Location: The Damage Control Table
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Re: Atonement
loyalfromlondon wrote: C+ Just didn't move me. Pretty sets, pretty cinematography, pretty cast, and a pretty dull story. Am I broken? Who's the hottest Briony? Saoirse or Vanessa Redgrave???
_________________A hot man once wrote: Urgh, I have to throw out half my underwear because it's too tight.
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Thu Dec 06, 2007 12:15 pm |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am Posts: 34876 Location: Minnesota
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Re: Atonement
I've watched the trailer twice today. It's going to seem like forever before this expands to my theater. I wish I knew when they plan on putting it wide.
Anyway, the trailer itself now makes me cry. I'm extra emotional lately after reading "Call Me By Your Name," and for some reason the stories remind me of each other. It's probably because of the settings and the fact that both are heartbreaking love stories. But regardless, the last 20-30 seconds of the trailer break my heart.
I'm thinking I might end up reading the book in the meantime to hold me off until I can see the movie, but I don't know.
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Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:14 pm |
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Levy
Golfaholic
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:06 pm Posts: 16054
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Re: Atonement
Pure brillance. What a cast, what a directing job, what a tremendous way to bring a book to the screen that was deemed unfilmable. It is the raqre masterpiece that grabs you and doesan't let you go for days. It's even better than the novel. A+
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Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:03 pm |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am Posts: 34876 Location: Minnesota
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Re: Atonement
loyalfromlondon wrote: Mike wrote: I've watched the trailer twice today. It's going to seem like forever before this expands to my theater. I wish I knew when they plan on putting it wide. It's playing at Uptown. How far are you from Minneapolis? 3 hours. I live way on the other side of the state. Thankfully it will go wide enough and play at my theater eventually.
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Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:38 am |
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Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm Posts: 15197 Location: Planet Xatar
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Re: Atonement
How depressing! ...only I wish I was describing how this movie made me feel... ...but unfortunately, I'm reporting to you what an abject failure this movie ended up being. I love this kind of tragic melodrama, but yikes! Joe Wright, the director, sucked any goodness out of every scene with his trite storytelling choices. It is too precious by far. I guess they must have hired him for his pretty pictures, cause it all looked very nice. One thing's for sure - - it'ain't no Notebook!!! This movie could only dream of being a movie that came by it's emotion as honestly as The Notebook... The actors in Atonement were adequate, but even Keira Knightley, who has consistently impressed me (except for some unfortunate role choices... q.v. POTC2&3), here shows signs of slipping up - - she was not entirely consistent in her performance. And James McAvoy could rapidly become the new Orlando Bloom if he's not careful - - he's certainly gotta stop taking these effete roles. Oh well, at least he's got his Narnia series work as Mr. Tumnus to fall back on. This movie is a sad disappointment; it is a great idea horribly squandered. 2 out of 5. (BAD)
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Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:40 am |
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Shack
Devil's Advocate
Joined: Sun Jul 31, 2005 2:30 am Posts: 37968
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Re: Atonement
THAT'S where I recognize his face from. I swear that's been killing me for weeks. Mr. Tumnus...
_________________Shack’s top 50 tv shows - viewtopic.php?f=8&t=90227
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Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:42 am |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am Posts: 34876 Location: Minnesota
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Re: Atonement
The Notebook is so overrated. It's good, but aside from a couple of great young actors there's nothing keeping it from being thrown into the mix of movies like A Walk To Remember, Here on Earth, and Sweet November. Sure it's slightly better than them, but still, I wouldn't hesitate to lump it in with them. I can't imagine this isn't lightyears better.
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Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:02 pm |
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thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am Posts: 14544 Location: LA / NYC
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Re: Atonement
I have a new #1 of 2007 Mini-review later.
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Sat Dec 08, 2007 2:59 pm |
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Rod
Extra on the Ordinary
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2004 8:50 pm Posts: 12821
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Re: Atonement
Bradley Witherberry wrote: How depressing! ...only I wish I was describing how this movie made me feel... ...but unfortunately, I'm reporting to you what an abject failure this movie ended up being. I love this kind of tragic melodrama, but yikes! Joe Wright, the director, sucked any goodness out of every scene with his trite storytelling choices. It is too precious by far. I guess they must have hired him for his pretty pictures, cause it all looked very nice. One thing's for sure - - it'ain't no Notebook!!! This movie could only dream of being a movie that came by it's emotion as honestly as The Notebook...The actors in Atonement were adequate, but even Keira Knightley, who has consistently impressed me (except for some unfortunate role choices... q.v. POTC2&3), here shows signs of slipping up - - she was not entirely consistent in her performance. And James McAvoy could rapidly become the new Orlando Bloom if he's not careful - - he's certainly gotta stop taking these effete roles. Oh well, at least he's got his Narnia series work as Mr. Tumnus to fall back on. This movie is a sad disappointment; it is a great idea horribly squandered. 2 out of 5. (BAD) I don't know if that's intended as a joke! lol Gah...I really want to see this!
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Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:02 pm |
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Magic Mike
Wallflower
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:53 am Posts: 34876 Location: Minnesota
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Re: Atonement
Some people actually think The Notebook is a great film .
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Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:18 pm |
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Gulli
Jordan Mugen-Honda
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 9:53 am Posts: 13400
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Re: Atonement
Well Bradford disliking and Cory loving was always going to happen.
I await the unknowns with interest.
_________________ Rosberg was reminded of the fuel regulations by his wheel's ceasing to turn. The hollow noise from the fuel tank and needle reading zero had failed to convay this message
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Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:25 pm |
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Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm Posts: 15197 Location: Planet Xatar
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Re: Atonement
Not a joke - - I loved The Notebook... Gullimont wrote: Well Bradford disliking and Cory loving was always going to happen.
I await the unknowns with interest. I had the highest hopes going into Atonement - - I love that kind of historical melodramatic romance - - it was a true surprise to me that it ended up being so poorly done...
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Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:30 pm |
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Gulli
Jordan Mugen-Honda
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 9:53 am Posts: 13400
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Re: Atonement
Bradley Witherberry wrote: Not a joke - - I loved The Notebook... Gullimont wrote: Well Bradford disliking and Cory loving was always going to happen.
I await the unknowns with interest. I had the highest hopes going into Atonement - - I love that kind of historical melodramatic romance - - it was a true surprise to me that it ended up being so poorly done... Ok Bradford, I shall believe you this time
_________________ Rosberg was reminded of the fuel regulations by his wheel's ceasing to turn. The hollow noise from the fuel tank and needle reading zero had failed to convay this message
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Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:38 pm |
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thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am Posts: 14544 Location: LA / NYC
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Re: Atonement
This film? Poorly done? Some of the best directorial work I've seen in ages is on display in this film.
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Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:42 pm |
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Gulli
Jordan Mugen-Honda
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 9:53 am Posts: 13400
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Re: Atonement
loyalfromlondon wrote: I wouldn't call it poorly directed either. I mean, the film doesn't work because of the flat script and acting. But the directing was top notch, as was the overall production. What did you think of the ending?
_________________ Rosberg was reminded of the fuel regulations by his wheel's ceasing to turn. The hollow noise from the fuel tank and needle reading zero had failed to convay this message
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Sat Dec 08, 2007 4:59 pm |
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