MOVIE REVIEW: Cloud Atlas (2012)

Directors: Tom Tykwer (Run, Lola, Run), The Wachowskis (The Matrix Trilogy)

Tagline: 

"Everything Is Connected"

Description:

“An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.” -Wikipedia

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I could never do an in-depth dissection of this film in its entirety and I wouldn’t dare try. It’s futile and irrelevant. This movie is like LIFE itself — beautiful, deep, mesmerizing, often confusing, seemingly random sometimes,  and complex - which we do not need to understand point by point because in the end it all fits perfectly. It meshes together, woven by a single invisible thread that’s made from the magical mysteries in the universe. 

So all I can do is sit back & enjoy scene after scene of visual treat, calming musical score, enchanting portrayals of different people by the same actors, and mesmerizing stories beautifully and perfectly intertwined by the geniuses behind this film.

It’s 3 hours long. 6 different stories. 7 timelines. Each actors have multiple characters. Not every movie can pull that off. Yes it’s long, but was I bored? NO. It’s a fusion of different genres and it’s really amazing how that could be done so effectively. And it shifts from one scene, one timeline to another - sometimes even mid-action or mid-dialogue, your mind trying to keep up with the pace that you won't have the the time to think about getting bored. 

Was I confused? Confused in a sense that I try to figure out whether one character is connected to this character and such. But like I said, it’s useless to try and piece together everything, just enjoy the ride and the movie will do that for you.

Was I satisfied? Definitely. There’s a magical feel in this film. Yes it’s complicated, but it has a vision. It doesn’t make you confused in an annoying, pretentious way.

Cinematography is beautiful. There are several shots to which I can only say "wow. this is art". Editing is superb. The musical score is “soul-tingling”. The vision of each timeline is just so awesome. The idea of using the same actor repeatedly for different characters is an absolute delight to see. 

Would love to see more of The Wachowski Bros. and Tom Tykwer (I’ve only seen one of his movies RUN, LOLA, RUN — and that was one helluva trip!)

One thing that distracted me a bit though is the make-up, although i’m not sure if it’s deliberate on the part of the production. While some are nicely done, some are a bit artificial looking.

And I really can’t figure out why, but Halle Berry seemed kinda boring for me. There’s just something off with her.. 

THE VERDICT:

MY RATING: 4/5 — three hours is too long for me, but it’s all worth it.. Definitely recommended but you have to stay focused to appreciate the beauty of the film. Not recommend for those with short attention span.

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