Day 94 - Cloud Atlas

Day 94            Cloud Atlas [2012]

                          

Screenplay                    Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski

Based on                       ‘Cloud Atlas’ by David Mitchell

Director                         Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer & Andy Wachowski

Cinematography            John Toll & Frank Griebe

Music                            Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil

Leads                            Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant, Keith David, James D’Arcy, Susan Sarandon, David Gyasi

Production                     Cloud Atlas Production, X-Filme Creative Pool, Anarchos Productions

IMDb                                7.5/10

Rotten Tomatoes                66%

Films over two hours have to be good, films over two and a half hours have to be excellent, or at least compelling in some way. This was long, convoluted and was trying too hard to be clever. It is based on a book which I am sure is more digestible and explains itself better. The concept is similar to the butterfly effect – that actions in the past have a knock-on effect throughout time and space. Perhaps more of a ripple effect than butterfly effect, suitable that one of the last lines of the films ‘what is an ocean if not a multitude of drops’ resonates most deeply with the plot. The cinematography, costume, hair and make-up are all wonderful as I had hoped from a movie with a $129 million budget. I particularly enjoyed seeing Hugh Grant as a tribal warrior chief and Hugo Weaving as Nurse Noakes. It was enjoyable to see each actor playing a different character in each age, but it meant the acting was forced at times. Tom Hanks is one of the greatest actors of all time, but I thought all of his roles in this were terrible. Even I could do better Irish and Scottish accents than he did. There were flashes of brilliance – the Sonmi-451 (Doona Bae) plotline was by far my favourite, and the most quotable too. Jim Broadbent’s Cavendish was a comedy movie all on its own. I just think the film tried to do too much in too short a period of time. It perhaps would have been more suited to a Game of Thrones style series, where the audience can slowly get used to all the different characters and timelines. It was original yes. Is it a good movie? No.

Acting                              3 / 4

Writing                          2.5 / 4

Cinematography            3.5 / 4

Music                            2.5 / 4

HWF rating                  2 / 4