Does sitting in a theater for almost three hours straight sound like a good way to spend an afternoon?
Cloud Atlas though good took its time. Artwork from google images.
Cloud Atlas is generating mixed feelings among the critic masses, and with good reason.
This movie is unlike any movie I have ever seen before. It is a masterpiece in the eyes of many. Others believe it to be a messy concoction constructed on an epic scale. Immediately after viewing this nearly three-hour journey, my opinion of it was nebulous. Certain segments sprinkled throughout the movie were artistically beautiful and visually stunning. Other times the film seemingly had movie ADD, with the scenes jumping back and forth, and to and fro, giving no purpose to what the audience viewed. If anything was certain after I digested this movie, it was that everyone who enjoys the art of film should see Cloud Atlas.
Based off the best selling novel of the same name by David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas is officially the most expensive independent film ever made, costing around $100 million to make. It was directed by the Wachowski’s (Lana and Andy) and Tom Tykwer (The International). The Wachowski’s are best know for the beloved The Matrix trilogy, but haven’t really directed anything of notable worth since. Most film enthusiasts (including myself) believed that Cloud Atlas was going to be one of the best movies of the year, and possibly even of all time, judging by the nearly six minute trailer. For some, this belief held true, but I happen to think there is much more to this film than awe and amazement.
The story to this film is incredibly complex and feels as if it could have been more than one movie. The six stories, all connected to one central theme, are all detailed and varied. The first hosts Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess, Upside Down), a dying 19th century slave trader, on a naval journey back to his home. The next has a homosexual young man in the 1930s named Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw, Skyfall) mono logging his story (about working with a distinguished composer) through letters to his lover, Rufus Sixsmith (James D’Arcy, Hitchcock). Another details the life of a 1970s journalist named Luisa Rey (Halle Berry, Dark Tide) digging up dirt on a corrupt energy organization. The one after this gives insight on an old publisher by the name of Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent, The Iron Lady) living in modern day England, and trying to pay off his debts to a gang. The fifth is about Sonmi-451 (Doona Bae, As One), a cloned waiter from the distant future who is different than all the other clones, and eventually gets sprung from her fast food prison by an unknown perpetrator for an unknown purpose. The final story takes place in a post apocalyptic future, where the struggling goat herder Zachry (Tom Hanks, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close) attempts to take care of his family, battle his inner demons, and solidify his belief in his villages’ religion.
This is an absurd amount of content for a movie to tackle, and yet I believe Cloud Atlas did an exceptional job, considering the source material. I have not read the book, but I hear it’s every bit as complex as its movie counter part, if not even more so. The overall theme of Cloud Atlas is that every action taken by people of the past, present, and future will affect the lives of people further in the future. Cloud Atlas even theorizes the possibility of reincarnation, and our past lives having a tremendous effect on the lives we currently live. It really pushes this idea by casting many (if not all) the actors in several different roles. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, and Doona Bae take the center stage with all of them playing at least six different roles, with Hugo Weaving (Captain America: The First Avenger) playing the central villain in most of the stories.
The way this movie connects these plots throughout the film is a miraculous balancing act. Trying to keep up with all the subtle hints and confusing subplots can be overwhelming, even to the most seasoned movie veteran. This is where the main problems of Cloud Atlas stem from. Sometimes the film went absolutely hog wild, and released a torrent of scenes in a matter of minutes. There were even some cases where the movie would spend about 30 seconds in one story, one minute in another, and five minutes in the next.
One of the greatest things Cloud Atlas brought to the table was its jaw dropping, mind blowing, and beautiful special effects and cinematography. Camera angles were sweeping, landscapes were vast, and futuristic technology was just plain awesome. The makeup was also an intriguing spectacle. I was absolutely shocked when I saw the cast list of Cloud Atlas on http://www.imdb.com, completely unaware that some of these actors played the additional roles that they did. However, it wasn’t always so fantastic. I could always tell Weaving was himself (even when he played a woman), and other times the makeup just didn’t look very convincing. The acting was stellar across the board, with standout performances from Hanks, Berry, Bae, and Broadbent.
When I first began this review, I was completely under the impression that I would be giving this movie a mediocre score, penalizing it for its sometimes-messy (and frankly disturbing) story. Nonetheless, over the course of the writing process, I have discovered that this movie is an ambitious and fantastic film. It may not be perfect, but most films aren’t, and Cloud Atlas is no exception. This gritty, surreal, wild film deserves at least one, and maybe even multiple viewings from almost anyone. In fact, the realization hit me that even I need to see this movie more to uncover all it has to offer. Don’t bring the kids though. Cloud Atlas is a very mature film with gratuitous amounts of obscene language, violence, and a pinch of nudity to top it all off. It seems as if it has even more due to such a long run time. I believe Cloud Atlas to be one of the most interesting movies I have ever seen in my life.
Rating: ★★★★
