Reviews written by Danny Miller
Too Ambitious
Disclaimer: I have NOT read the book.
An artistic, overly-symbolic squash of bewilderment, three-hour Cloud Atlas should have been split into multiple parts - perhaps a two-part or three part trilogy in order to give the Wachowski Brothers and Tom Tykwer more time to connect the dissonant storylines. What can you expect with three directors? Frustration engulfed me throughout the film – Why is the scientist telling the reporter everything? Why are they on another planet? What is the big deal about the music? Hundreds of questions that I knew just minutes into the film were never going to be answered.
I was disappointed and unpleasantly surprised of the cliché character framing and musical cues in the film. The usual orchestra sweeps with philosophical diatribes initially had my eyes rolling, and eventually had them closed in exhaustion. These cues, subtly implemented in Tom Tykwer’s Run Lola Run seem pretentious and flaunting in Cloud Atlas. The Wachowski Brothers often over-emphasize and over-deliver themes– something that fit wonderfully in Matrix, but was a point of weakness in Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolutions, V for Vendetta, and now Cloud Atlas.
Tom Hanks delivers a great performance in multiple roles. I wasn’t particularly impressed by Halle Berry. The CGI was, as expected, top class; however, I had just witnessed the care and cinemagraphic attention-to-detail in Django Unchained and had a difficult time comparing the antebellum cinematography in Cloud Atlas.
I wanted to like Cloud Atlas after watching it, yet I feel I would have to ensure multiple three-hour showings to achieve a semblance of comprehension. And I don’t think I would be rewarded with the same form of gratification as an also artistically ambiguous Blade Runner.
I emphasize my disclaimer at the top – I’m sure the book connects the storylines better – and perhaps it should have stayed a book.