Cloud Atlas (2012)
I'd much rather see an ambitious film than a safe one. If it doesn't all work, Cloud Atlasย takes so many risks you have to admire it.
The film is divided into many storylines with key actors playing multiple roles. In one story, Tom Hanks might be a kind reporter, in another a sleazy, money-grubbing apothecary. Hugo Weaving plays a woman overseeing a nursing home and later, a demonic force in a post-apocalyptic future. Halle Berry is seen as a journalist in 1973, an Asian scientist, and an Indian party guest. Everyone plays different genders, ages, and ethnicities in a tale that explores how peopleโs actions in the past affect those of the future.
Directors Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, and Lilly Wachowski have made a lot of bold moves with this picture. First, it follows dozens of characters and storylines that aren't connected in obvious ways. A book or movie mentioned in one story might be referenced as inspiration for the actions of another character. Blink and often, youโll miss it. Next, the idea of reincarnation (a complex one) is made visual by having actors and actresses play multiple roles. Often itโs very convincing thanks to extensive makeup. You won't even realize this person played that certain background role until you read the end credits. There are also times when it isnโt quite seamless (It appears to be much easier to make a white person look like theyโre from Seoul than a black woman appear white) but I applaud the effort. One of the best stories is set in a post-disaster, post-apocalyptic world. It's clear the language they speak evolved from English so you can catch bits and pieces of what theyโre saying and get a sense of whatโs going on, but there are no subtitles and no one "translates" for you.
Cloud Atlasย is more than a technical curiosity or an experiment. It's a series of compelling stories. Each couldโve been its own movie. Put together like this, they make a symphony that's a joy to make sense of. This is a thinking personโs movie. The way these stories are connected is not obvious. The way theyโll conclude is not predictable and, in some cases do not end happily ever after. Itโs long, but that running time allows you to immerse yourself in the story. By the time you get to the end, youโve forgotten what was at the very beginning, making it feel like a circle of birth and rebirth that needs to be seen multiple times to be truly understood.
I canโt wait to see what filmmakers and storytellers Cloud Atlasย will inspire in 15 or 20 years. Who will be inspired by the brave choices in Cloud Atlas, what ideas and techniques will they make their own? Itโs a bit uneven. The tone between the retirement home story varies so much from the horrors of future Seoul that you'll suffer from whiplash. If youโre a fan of cinema or just want to see something different, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Even if it ultimately isnโt the type of film you fall in love with, youโll hold Cloud Atlasย close to your heart for the way it goes all-out. (Theatrical version on DVD, February 3, 2017)
