Directed by Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachwski, Lana Wachowski
Starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving
Rating: 5 out of 10
Cloud
Atlas is a movie that’s easier to admire than love. It’s a big, bold, ambitious
affair that left me impressed by the telling, but not with the tale.
Directed
by Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, and Lana Wachowski, Cloud Atlas has one of the
most impressive casts of the year: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Huge
Weaving, Hugh Grant, Susan Surandon, Keith David, and Ben Whishaw. Everyone
plays several characters through a series of stories taking place over hundreds
of years. Many times the actors, buried under make-up, are unrecognizable.
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| Yes, that's Hugh Grant. Imagine Julia Roberts in the scene from Notting Hill standing opposite him. |
To
give away the stories—which span from the days of slavery to a time far, far in
the future—would be to spoil the movie's main strength: Cloud
Atlas does an extraordinary job of layering each tale so that the interlocking and interwoven stories can be told simultaneously,
right on top of one another. The film slips effortlessly into each narrative,
sometimes in bursts of just a few minutes or seconds.
That
isn’t to say every story works, but there is something for everyone: a murder
mystery full of greed and corruption; a raucous comedy-adventure with Jim
Broadbent leading a great escape; a Blade Runner-esque dystopian tale; and
others. I admire what the filmmakers have done here. While I haven’t read the book upon which the film is based, I understand that it was how to tell these
rich, layered stories that caused concern with fans. No worry needed on that
front.
The
problem with Cloud Atlas is there’s so much going on that it’s difficult, if
not impossible to connect with any of the characters. There are people to root
for and those to jeer in each story, but you never stay with them long enough to
care about their situation, wonder about their motivations, or really become involved in their story. Add to that:
I can understand the device behind having each actor play several characters,
but the effect is often distracting as I essentially found myself playing “Where’s
Waldo?” with the film’s massive cast.
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| The prerequisite Cloud Atlas picture of Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. |
Brother
and sister team Andy and Lana Wachowski are probably best known for writing and
directing the Matrix films. I have the same problem with Cloud Atlas that I
have with the last two films in that series: it’s beautifully executed and a
sight to behold, but the final product is cold and robotic. To be sure, Cloud
Atlas has moments of humor, heart, and wonder, but is a mediocre film at best. This package, however, is handed to its audience
in the most exquisite wrapping; it’s a gorgeous film and an impressive feat of direction, but despite these accomplishments, Cloud Atlas is not a great movie.
