Cloud Atlas: Film Review

Yesterday, I had the had the pleasure of attending a free advanced screening of Cloud Atlas. It's been a while since I've seen a movie in theaters that I thoroughly enjoyed watching.

Following the success of V for Vendetta and The Matrix franchise, directors Lana and Andy Wachowski brilliantly tackled this screenplay adapted from David Mitchell's novel of the same name.

***SPOILER ALERT***

The film is follows six different story lines that can each be a standalone short film. The settings of each storyline is as follows:

1. 19th century slave trade - drama

2. 1930s - musical romantic drama

3. 1970s - mystery and crime

4. Present Day - British comedy

5. Dystopian Korea - Science Fiction

6. Post-apocalyptic Islands - Science Fiction

Individually the plots of each storyline are not that interesting; it is how each storyline is linked with one another that makes the film so great. These interlocking story lines is a bit reminiscent of Darren Aronofsky's film: The Fountain. The Wachowskis did a wonderful job of weaving each storyline together with the overarching theme of the search for truth and freedom.

My favorite story line has got to be story line #5 which is set in a dystopian Neo-Seoul. Most of the action scenes are in this plot line. There are enough special effects to keep the audience on the edge of their seat but not too many that it diverts attention from the theme and plot. As a bonus, this story arc pays homage to one of my favorite classics: Soylent Green.

What awed me the most was how versatile actor/actress was. Each performer was involved in at least 2 different story lines. Some actors such as Tom Hanks and Halle Berry are involved in all 6 story lines! Keep your eyes peeled to see the different characters each actor/actress plays. Some are obvious, others might be a surprise.

Hugo doing what he does best: playing the villain.
***END SPOILER SECTION***

Conclusion

Cloud Atlas is a medley of different short stories beautifully woven together into one epic tale. The movie starts off slow because the settings of the story lines need to be established, but the pace picks up quickly once introductions are over. The movie is not for the inattentive, it is really easy to get lost because there are so many plot lines. So DON'T FALL ASLEEP. This is one movie you don't want to miss.