“Cloud Atlas” is an extremely ambitious project from directors-screenwriters Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, and Andy Wachowski. With six storylines proceeding all at once in six eras, the group may have bitten off more than they could chew. The confusing and hard-to-follow film was adapted from the 2004 novel by David Mitchell. This may be a case of “you had to read the book,” with the science fiction drama going back and forth in time between 1849, 1936, 1973, 2012, 2144, and 2321.
The familiar faces of the ensemble cast also get quite a workout. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Jim Sturgess, and Hugo Weaving appear in all six segments. Susan Sarandon, Keith David, James D’Arcy, Zhou Xun, Ben Whithaw, Jim Broadbent, Doona Bae, David Gyasi, and Robert Fyfe show up in fewer scenes but are kept busy nonetheless.
There may be some interesting stories to appreciate here, but this picture is simply too confusing for the average viewer to follow. Buyer beware. Three hours of “Cloud Atlas” can be quite a cloudy road trip indeed. It was a major flop at the box office for distributor Warner Bros. Pictures.
Cloud Atlas (2012)
cinema
My Review
“Cloud Atlas” is an extremely ambitious project from directors-screenwriters Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, and Andy Wachowski. With six storylines proceeding all at once in six eras, the group may have bitten off more than they could chew. The confusing and hard-to-follow film was adapted from the 2004 novel by David Mitchell. This may be a case of “you had to read the book,” with the science fiction drama going back and forth in time between 1849, 1936, 1973, 2012, 2144, and 2321.
The familiar faces of the ensemble cast also get quite a workout. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Jim Sturgess, and Hugo Weaving appear in all six segments. Susan Sarandon, Keith David, James D’Arcy, Zhou Xun, Ben Whithaw, Jim Broadbent, Doona Bae, David Gyasi, and Robert Fyfe show up in fewer scenes but are kept busy nonetheless.
There may be some interesting stories to appreciate here, but this picture is simply too confusing for the average viewer to follow. Buyer beware. Three hours of “Cloud Atlas” can be quite a cloudy road trip indeed. It was a major flop at the box office for distributor Warner Bros. Pictures.