Cloud Atlas
Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving
Director: Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski
Rating: 4/5
Now I will happily admit that I was not a fan of David Mitchell’s novel when I read it last year but I was intrigued as to how this sprawling and complex book would be adapted for the big screen.
Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski andAndy Wachowski have always been known as directors who are not afraid to push the boundaries of film and they have made some visually terrific films over the years.
And Cloud Atlas sees them carry on that fine tradition as I found this film to be far superior to the novel - it really is unlike everything that we will see for the rest of the year.
Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future.
Action, mystery and romance weave dramatically through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. Each member of the ensemble appears in multiple roles as the stories move through time.
This is a bold and daring film that really does bring to life Mitchell’s novel into an epic piece of cinema that will just sweep you away.
The trio of director’s should be applauded for their bravery as they have taken on the very complex narrative that exists in Mitchell’s book and brought a story to the big screen that is funny, emotional and breathtaking - but most of all it has momentum and drive.
Cloud Atlas does not let up for a minute as it jumps from story to story and character to character and yet it never loses sight of the story that it is trying to tell and the conclusion that it is trying to reach.
Of course some elements of the each of the stories have had to be trimmed down for the purpose of cinema and yet - having read the book - this doesn’t detract from each of the storylines as all the major elements of each story are present.
Halle Berry and Tom Hanks lead an all star cast and we see each actor take on multiple roles with the like of Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent and Hugo Weaving up popping up in each story in an array of different guises.
It is clear that the cast had a wonderful time with this movie as this is an acting challenge that none of them faced before. For the viewer it is also exciting to see where they will pop up next.
The make up and the prosthetics are wonderful - did you spot Halle Berry as a male doctor? Or Weaving as nurse Noakes?
Cloud Atlas is a film that dazzles from start to finish it is exciting, action packed and emotional as well as being visually stunning.
Perhaps David Mitchell’s novel would have been deemed an unfilmable novel but
Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski andAndy Wachowski have shown that a fine cast and a bit of bravery can result in a wonderful piece of unforgettable cinema.
Cloud Atlas is out now
Tagged in Halle Berry Tom Hanks