"Cloud Atlas" (2012)

"Cloud Atlas" (2012) Review:

"Cloud Atlas" is an interesting, bold, fresh, and exciting moviegoing experience. "Cloud Atlas" is also a long and somewhat alienating moviegoing experience leaving the viewer more somber, in awe, and feeling like they need a shower.

The movie's plot takes place over six interweaving timelines, moving, at some moments, like a funeral dirge, and at other moments like a roller coaster. This is both a strength and weakness in the film's composition; every plot has rising and falling action, normally with emphasis on the rising, yet "Cloud Atlas" has long stretches of seemingly unending little scenes that try to impart the author's worldly views. As for the separate plots, some worked better than others with both the strongest and weakest tied between the last two  which showed an ambitious view of the future as well as alienated the viewer with how far out they were.

The acting was okay, but was obviously not the films emphasis with the strongest performances by, of course, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, and Jim Broadbent. Most noticeably there were a significant number of strange makeup choices for the actors between Hugo Weaving (who managed to turn every single part he played in the film into a villain reminiscent of Agent Smith) becoming Asian, and Doona Bae who portrayed Sonmi 451, as well as, strangely a white woman and a Mexican. None of these makeup race conversions worked and would have been better if they had simply been nonexistent and the directors had cast separate actors to play the parts.

The films strong suits though were definitely in its attempt to depict the future through Neo Seoul which looked haunting and devoid of humanity having been built on the top of the now flooded old Seoul. In addition to this, the film had wonderful cinematography with good shot composition and excellent use of different colors throughout the different stories to help reenforce the differences.

In the end, I'm glad I went. Was it good, no but it was exactly what I expected it to be. Most of all, it challenged traditional filmmaking techniques using new and interesting ways of telling its multiple stories as well as amazing use of age makeup and scar makeup. Most of all, it was different, refreshing, and bold. The film was in no way derivative, but rather utilized its stories to create something genuinely new and creative, something not often seen in the Fall moviegoing season.

Stars: 8.5/10

"Cloud Atlas" (2012) Re-Review

It's difficult to quantify the meaning and significance of the intermingling themes of slavery, greed, love, and destiny in "Cloud Atlas" muchness understand character development throughout the ages and world's each of "Cloud Atlas'" stories have to tell as one's life becomes another's. Such intricate meanings can only be clearly seen when they are more closely examined. "Cloud Atlas" is a film deserving of such deep and thorough scrutiny as each and every small interaction has vast potential in the future. This film is an under-appreciated work of art that, through its facades of action and adventure, tells the story of human ambition and the human experience.

The transformations "Cloud Atlas'" characters go through are fascinating on second viewing as each character's story arc over the series of all six stories indicates personal growth. No actor better demonstrates this that Tom Hanks who's characters evolve from the purely greedy Dr. Goose, to the greedy yet somewhat more sympathetic hotel manager in his next life, finally overcoming his temptations in "Cloud Atlas'" final segment by helping Halle Berry's character multiple times and truly becoming whole. So too are the relationships between Halle Berry and Tom Hanks as well as the relationships between Jim Sturgess and Doona Bae reminiscent of this development. Both of these pairs, through their different lives, have relationships that mirror one another helping to compose the films themes.

Now, if one were to truly dig into the themes they would have written a tome comparable in size to that of "Cloud Atlas" the novel by David Mitchell, on which the film was based. However, it is important to recognize that once the plot is gently pushed aside slightly, the inner meanings of each of the saying's in the film such as "the weak are meat the strong do eat," or "our lives are not our own" give way to deeper questions such as, how can we change from life to life if we cannot even remember our previous lives? Is it just subliminal like walking through a door? All these questions are concealed within the story giving the Wachowski Brothers (really siblings) and Tom Tykwer an awesome feat to grapple with. Yet their script works beautifully perhaps not being shakespearian yet conveying a substantial number of themes in a piece of film not the length of a football game. Yet not only have these fine artists sown together myriad parts of different stories as seemingly unrelated as strangers on initial inspection into a film with a cohesive overall feel, yet also adjusted details in the plot (subtleties I will not go into here) as to create a set of stories that amaze and convey the emotional importance of each of the stories.

The acting, on second inspection was nearly flawless save for a few slip ups which were overall so minor as to be virtually unnoticeable without any priory viewing. As to was the makeup, allowing the same actors to change their performances as fully as the characters they attempted to portray required.

Another strong suit for the film can be seen very clearly in its trailers; an understanding of visual effects, makeup, sound, and cinematography in film making. All these tools were wonderfully utilized, perhaps not in their most ambitious individual forms yet certainly one of the most interesting combinations of all these tools to move the plot forward to date. The combination aided the story, yet did not seem to overwhelm it yet rather aided in developing the story's themes and messages.

This film is a masterpiece, though it will most likely not be recognized as one because of these myriad elements. Yet these elements are essential to creating a beautiful and well-crafted story that perhaps the average critic, content with traditional and perhaps bland filmmaking, was too quick to reject rather than consider and thus panned the film.

Yet it is preferable to see something truly magical and new rather than another sequel or reboot. Why not usher in the new and unfamiliar to expand the horizons of what film can mean? Why not engage the mind on multiple levels, for surely a book does the same.

In short, at some point another film like this will be made and hopefully more appreciated. For, "I believe there is another world waiting for us, Sixsmith. A better world. And I'll be waiting for you there."

Stars: 9.5/10