Cloud Atlas: A Tru-Truly Transcendant Experience

The Wachowski Brothers Siblings (The Matrix Trilogy, Speed Racer), two of the many father figures in the ground-breaking department of filmmaking, have birthed their first monstrosity that is thankfully nothing like their previous films, and yet so similar. This is, in my opinion, the first Wachowski film featuring true passion from the duo, along with co-director Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run, Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer). It's an epic (I know that word is used/misused so much, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em) they've adapted from the 2004 novel of the same name, written by David Mitchell, oh-so-dearly and with such apparent heart and verve that it nearly bursts out of the screen (If M83's Outro booming across the last third of the five-minute trailer wasn't awesome, I'm not sure what is). In scope and in emotional depth, Cloud Atlas wins The Matrix a thousand times over. And there's so much more.

This unique experience (of which I will try not to reveal to much of the plot) where each actor takes on multiple roles (sometimes switching gender or race), consists of six stories, spanning from 1840, about a lawyer (Jim Sturgess; One Day, Across The Universe) at sea who finds an African-American stowaway (David Gyasi; Red Tails) of whom he's met before, to way way way in the future, in which a post-apocalyptic native (Tom Hanks, one of the standouts) accompanies a high-tech foreigner (Halle Berry) on her mission. And then there's everything in between: In a dystopian Japan, a clone (Doona Bae, another standout) is chosen to start a revolution (my favorite out of the six); A nervous book editor (Jim Broadbent) struggles to find $50,000 to pay back a gang led by an imprisoned Irish author (a scene-stealing performance by Hanks); A headstrong journalist (Berry) tries to unveil a corrupt nuclear power plant owned by Hugh Grant's character (Bae is a crowd-pleasing scene stealer in this one); And an aspiring composer (Ben Whishaw) helps an old legend (Broadbent) formulate a sextet titled The Cloud Atlas.      

It's a lot to absorb in one sitting. Hell, you might scratch your head through all of it's perfectly paced 172 minutes (I think boredom is out of the equation with this movie). But the fact that it's a spectacle to truly marvel still remains. The film takes you on an unforgettable journey through sweepingly beautiful and bleak landscapes, blending practical and special effects seamlessly. The great humor comes naturally and helps off-gas whenever there is compiled tension. And when the action hits, it hits with an awesome punch, creating a fully realized atmosphere that works hand-in-glove with its jaw-dropping cinematography.

The leads do a magnificent job, possibly even spin-off worthy ('The Continuing Adventures Of Luisa Rey', anyone? Anyone?? Anyone?!!), and seeing them switch around under so many prosthetics and so much makeup until you're not sure who is playing what is something to behold. The supporting work by Susan Sarandon, Hugo Weaving, Keith David, James D'Arcy (W.E., the upcoming Hitchcock), Xun Zhou, Gyasi, and Grant is also great, and all their characters are endlessly interesting/entertaining as well.  

The film is almost, for lack of a better word, symphonic in its tone, swaying from a magically light twinkle to an enjoyably adventurous ride, from a searingly suspenseful foreboding to a heartbreakingly hopeful and transcendant piece. Its constantly reappearing message suggests that we're all the same souls meeting again and again, shaping each other's lives in different bodies and in different timelines. Throughout eras, we might be protecting the very person we're trying to kill, a romance will radiate through generations, and good will always fight evil. Our fates intertwine and converge in a pattern that reoccurs throughout eons and eons (in other words, we're all really old people).

Cloud Atlas is ultimately about how the people we meet and the choices we make change our lives, drastically or minutely. And that is something we can all relate to. 



Grade: A+

Rating: 5/5