Cloud Atlas is a two hour and 52 minute movie that is highly symbolic. Of what, you ask? Don’t expect me to tell you. It starts out kind of slow and seems to drag to a halt then, once you pass the one hour and 45 minute mark, things start to pick up. As the numerous stories seem to be coming to a conclusion, things slow down again but get really exciting for the last half hour. The question is if it’s worth your time. The answer is yes and no.
CA is based on a novel considered unfilmable. They went ahead anyway. It is a combination of stories from 1849 to the present and well into the future – way past when Waterworld took place. The producers decided to hire big name talent. These folks include Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon, and Hugh Grant. They found cast salaries too high and had so many parts left uncast that they did a very smart thing. They had each of the main actors play anywhere from three to seven parts. Budget problem solved. Both TH and HB play six characters. The stories include elements of real history as well as far out SciFi.
All the stories are tied together by something mysterious. But, I’m still in the dark. Where is Jessica Fletcher when you need her? The stories do not run in sequence. In no certain order, the film spends a few minutes on one story before switching to another of the multiple stories. The two future stories take place in Korea 100 years from now and on Hawaii’s Big Island after “The Fall of Man.” The Korean plotline contains a lot of elements seen in other SciFi films like THX 1138, Soylent Green and Logan’s Run. The “After the Fall” segment has a little of Waterworld and Mad Max in the story.
The actors are terrific especially Jim Broadbent and his escape from the old folks home adventure. There is a lot of humor to go along with the violence, sex and foul language. It’s the actors and visuals that make this film slightly above average, considering all the ambiguity you have to put up with.
The entire film features a symbol of a comet that appears on various characters. Not sure why or which comet. I’m not even sure it was a comet, but it looked like one.
This film was made and written for the screen, in part, by the Wachowski Brothers. They made the Matrix series, of which I only saw the first one. I’ll say no more. They also made V for Vendetta, which actually made The Matrix look good. Their next big budget film was Speed Racer which was seen by 16 people in theaters and seven more on DVD rentals from a Red Box in a Safeway store in the Wachowski Brothers’ home town of Chicago. The brothers consist of Andy and Laurence. Laurence has undergone some changes and is now known as Lana. Maybe it was the comet.
Rated 3.0 out of 4.0 reasons to hope that the mystery will clear in Cloud Atlas II. Assuming Cloud Atlas turns a profit. If you go stay for a few minutes of credits to see each of the main actors and all the roles they were in on screen. Some surprises in store.
