Review: Cloud Atlas

Industrial followers have been hearing about Cloud Atlas for years, building an insurmountable amount of heat for a multitude of reasons. So when I bring it up to casual film-goers and they seem ignorant of the film, I’m really shocked; it’s by the directors of The Matrix Trilogy, boasts a 100+ million dollar budget, has a cast loaded with prolific actors, and spotlights dazzling visuals and grand action scenes. It raked in a paltry opening weekend gross, however, and little public recognition that it even existed. At its core, Cloud Atlas is like a concept album from an alt-rock band trying “something totally different”; big production value because of the recognizable market of the band but a potentially hazardous concept for the core audience that could make or break their future. But, what makes Cloud Atlas more daring than a sonic transformation within a music group is the fact that this project is more than a passion project backed by big studio investors; the Wachowski siblings, recognizing the volatility of the material at hand, produced the entire feature using their own resources. Consequentially, attention should be given to the film because it’s entirely a labor of love, an ambitious artistic vision that’s fairly well realized to boot.

It’s an admirable project for managing to tackle arguably impossible subject material; six intertwining stories spanning vastly different genres and amassing a grandiose scope featuring the same actors. The Wachowski siblings, having been fairly constricted to experimental sci-fi features really demonstrate their versatility by being able to not only manage the different genres but incorporate them into a larger cohesive piece. This is the true champion of Cloud Atlas, making said vision a reality. Mixing in the zippy, adrenaline fueled vision of Run Lola Run director Tom Twyker, Cloud Atlas succeeds in being a thoroughly entertaining blockbuster feature.

…But it’s far from perfect. It’s hard to truly fault many of the shortcomings considering the heart and soul that’s poured into the feature, and that certain aspects of the film were fairly impossible to manage. Two of the six storylines were largely unnecessary, sometimes dragging the movie into boredom despite the other storylines being engaging. I’m unfamiliar with the Wachowski’s connection to each of the storylines, or a feeling that the threading aspect is sincerely necessary as a foundation for each of the stories, but it felt at times that they should have been excised. Sure, the two storylines I disliked had moments of delight due to the trio’s knowledge on how to inject adrenaline into the movie, but they derailed the film a little bit.

Mentioning adrenaline, the film has deliberate moments where climaxes are recognizable and contrived; they’re smartly timed, executed just as the film begins to lag, but the heavy orchestration and voice-over work feels a bit abused by the third act of the film. It’s impressive that they are able to time all of the storylines to correlate perfectly, however, unless the book was written in said manner.

The selling point of the film is the continuity of our lives, a consistent rebirth that sees us interacting with the same souls throughout different incarnations of our lives. A caveat is later introduced, implicating that how we manage previous relationships affects the current course of our lives; a cool concept that’s mapped out really well throughout the intersecting storylines. As the film progresses, however, one can’t help but question the purpose of the thesis of the film; after leaving the theater and trying to dissect the purpose, it felt more like a smarthouse gimmick than a revealing philosophy, as the film has been pitched. I enjoyed studying how the characters intersected and were affected by previous storylines, but didn’t feel like the consequentialist theory impacted the storylines, just judgment calls characters make in the future. Arguably, if our previous interactions shape our future ones with corresponding souls, shouldn’t our souls remain true to form consistent throughout our incarnations? This is one of the biggest caveats I’ve found with the film; characters switch from moral to immoral, and it affects how they treat other characters, but nothing more. The continuity aspect is also difficult to tackle with casting actors who can competently act between the different storylines. Sometimes they come off as hokey, particularly Tom Hanks and Hugh Grant, and are cursed with deplorable make-up artistry (the yellow-face, which has caused a bit of an uproar, is a graceless misstep).

These few errors don’t take away from the wildly entertaining film at hand. I would argue that we have a good movie with great moments; the dead weight restricts Cloud Atlas from reaching its potential, but not from garnering the praise it deserves. Certain characters, particularly the dashing heartbreaker Ben Whishaw, garner earnest affection from the audience and create relationships between viewers and on-screen action. Given the really awe-inducing scope of the film, particularly the genres it withholds, I find it difficult to believe that one could truly despise the film through-and-through. The Wachowskis demonstrate they can handle action, thriller, romance, drama, and comedy; while one may not enjoy all the stories, something onscreen will provide at least a slight interest. Despite its shortcomings, Cloud Atlas is an important movie to see; to understand the potential of the film medium, the power of ambition and passion, and to take in the beautiful realization of a multitude of universes. See it on the big screen to really indulge in the unique visual flair it brings to the table.

Grade B

EDIT: After watching an interview with the Wachowski siblings, they speak on their reasoning behind their motivations to make Cloud Atlas and the importance of the symbolism at hand. After coming to terms with herself, Lana Wachowski came to a realization that her life was not restrictive to herself, that her actions and decisions consequentially affected others, particularly relative to her experiences as a trans-woman. The novel was a practiced application of this theory she believes, demonstrating the resonance our actions can have on future generations and people we maintain relationships with. When explained, the motif is there, just not as fleshed out, perhaps, as it was in the novel.

This is one film that I highly recommend doing contextual research before viewing. Understanding the gravity of the production, development, and passion the Wachowski's have for the film, not to mention breaking their notorious anonymity to speak on the films behalf, is quite fascinating. It makes viewing a far more rewarding endeavor.