Cloud Atlas Movie Blurb by Shale October 27, 2012 The post tropical storm weather was windy but bright & sunny in Miami Beach today, so I made it to the Cinema to see this much anticipated movie. Much like the July 2010 movie Inception, this one is sometimes hard to track. Also, that movie was 2 and a half hours long and this one was almost three hours. But what I wrote of that will also apply here: "This movie was really good. Not many people will care for it. But for those of us who can appreciate a blind ride thru often confusing scenery and just know that eventually it will come together, this movie will be a lot of fun. In fact, I can't tell you too much about it because it is still processing." As seen in the trailers you surmise that it is about the continuance of consciousness thru various incarnations over a 500 year span in many cultures. There is an oft repeated line "From womb to tomb, we are all connected." As well as a statement of continuing life, "Death is only a door. When one closes, another one opens." To pull this off are our main actors, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Doona Bae, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, James D'Arcy,Ben Whishaw, David Gyasi and Susan Sarandon in several roles, using makeup and prosthetics to change their appearance. (OK, sometimes it is distracting - especially a Caucasian Halle Berry and Doona Bae or an Asian Jim Sturgess and Hugo Weaving) Tom Hanks & Halle Berry in One Time & Place Let's see if I can recreate a map of this movie. Tom is a goat herder in a pre-industrial culture where he is attacked by savage warriors but whose tribe is visited by Halle from a highly advanced culture. Simultaneously we pick up another story in the 18th Century where a lawyer (Jim Sturgess) has to deal with the slavery of his era and connects with a runaway slave (David Gyasi). And yet another where a publisher (Jim Broadbent) is dealing with extortion from criminals and subterfuge from his own family. (Hugo Weaving plays a "Nurse Rached" character in this sequence). The most easily understood sequence is where Halle Berry plays a reporter in 1973, exposing corporate corruption that gets her targeted and others murdered by the corp. David Gyasi defects from the corp and helps her elude Hugo Weaving (looking just like Agent Smith). There's also a story from 2144, Neo Seoul where Doona Bae is a 'fabricant' or manufactured person who is made to serve 'consumers.' Somni 451 - Fabricant There is a rebellion against the controllers in this future world and just like the other sequences, real tension is created following these ppl thru their various plights. I guess it is about good vs evil, or masters vs slaves or just fighting the continuous good fight. Good does not always triumph - good ppl die, evil continues, but the worth is how we react in our own time and place. Oh, and Cloud Atlas Sextet is a young man's (Ben Whishaw) musical triumph that echos thru the movie. Jim Broadbent & Ben Whishaw Well, I'm sure that is confusing to read. About all you can do is steel yourself for a 3-hour movie and go see it. I'll be getting the DVD and seeing it again. BTW, it is rated R for some violence and gore and an artfully done love scene between Jim Sturgess & Doona Bae and a quick nude exit from a bedroom of Ben Whishaw.
Same Actors - Different Characters Here are some of the makeup & prosthetic changes to our actors Jim Sturgess Korean Freedom Fighter From Future He looked fairly convincing as an Asian. Agent Smith I'm sorry, but Hugo Weaving has gotten so typecast with Matrix, that I see Agent Smith every time I see him. In the 1973 sequence he is playing the exact same character. Asian Smith IDK, he looks more Romulan than Asian White Halle Berry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWnAqFyaQ5s"]Cloud Atlas Extended Trailer #1 (2012) - Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Wachowski Movie HD - YouTube Looks awesome.
I found it basically to be a self indulgent wankfest by the Wakowski's. I dont understand how they can make a film like the Matrix, but then every thing that follows is complete shite
I thought this movie was absolutely brilliant. I did not understand completely the entire scope of it (its got quite a scope, @ 3 hours of run time and spanning centuries of human history), but the vision of it is amazing. The acting, prosthetics/makeup, special effects and scenery were incredible. Different subplots offered different things; the one with the elderly publisher, so much humor. Tom hanks in the dystopian future, haunted by the "devil", supernatural creepiness. The prior dystopian future, very sci-fi. The 60s evil-oil political drama. The passionate, gifted and troubled gay composer. The slave trade of old. SO MUCH here that some of it has to stick for you lol. Really really ambitious work, I'll have to watch it again many times.
