CLOUD ATLAS
Directors Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, and Lana Wachowski team up to helm this adaptation of David Mitchell's popular novel Cloud Atlas. The trio have put together an all-star cast, including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, and Hugh Grant, to play various characters over the course of several different historical time periods. The various narrative threads weave in and out of each other, painting a portrait of mankind's quest for tolerance and peace throughout the ages. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
Director: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer
Cast: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, Huge Grant, Keith David
Release Date: Oct 26, 2012
Rated R for violence, Language, Some Drug Use and Sexuality/Nudity
Runtime: 2 hr. 52 min.
Genres: Drama, Suspense/Thriller
Review:
The Wachowski’s and Tom Tykwer’s Cloud Atlas is truly an accomplishment. The film is a blending and mixing of genres and stories across space and time done with incredible ease. The experience is jarring at first but utterly engrossing after it settles in your mind. Various themes are interwoven into the multiple story threads display the level of intricacy at work. The assembled cast made up of A-listers and character actors attack their multiple roles with a noticeable vigor and range. Each actor or actress is given plenty time to shine in one interaction or another with Doona Bae being the biggest surprise overall, simply because she’s the least known. There are some characters that play actors incredibly against type and other that layer them in drag or heavy prosthetics to change their appearance. Cloud Atlas’s biggest positive is it’s boldness of sprit, even with the various genres at play it achieves a strong emotion link with the audience which will be readily apparent by the film’s end. At nearly 3 hours, the film moves at a steady pace but rarely feels overlong which is a good thing since it’s the type of film that will require multiple viewings to catch every nuance.
A
hmmm i didn't think every storyline elicited emotion from the audience, but i do agree that with the interweaving plots, the 3 hours felt shorter (kinda). :)
ReplyDeleteLet's say it was an enjoyable 3 hours :-)
DeleteA? Wowsers. didn't expect such a high rating. I loved the trailer, the plot sounds fascinating and I really want to see it - however, the huge amount of mediocre or negative reviews is pretty disturbing...
ReplyDeleteI was surprised at how much I liked it, just really connected with the film.
DeleteWeird movie. Loved the cast, the editing is superb, it's visually stunning, awesome CGI, awesome cinematography - however, it's definitely way too long, flawed and it felt immensely incomplete. Also, some horrid make-up. 6,5/10
DeleteI think the ambition of the entire thing really worked for, some of the make is very bad but others I found to be fairly impressive.
DeleteAn A! I am shocked at that too. I know nothing about Cloud Atlas accept for the trailer and I didn't quite get it.
ReplyDeleteI will have to look into it a bit more. As per the norm I have no idea when it is released over here!
3hours though - it's a long one.
It actually took me by surprise, wasn't sure what to expect and I was pretty much blown away, I do want to see it again even with the 3 hour run time.
DeleteI have been having some really mixed feelings about seeing this as I don't want to commit to a long movie that will require me to piece together so many different storylines. I'll probably wait until DVD as I can't afford multiple theatrical viewings. Good to know you think so highly of it, though.
ReplyDeleteI may work better on DVD so you can take your time on it.
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