??? What you do in this life affects what your life will be like in the next. Poison a man now and you may be haunted by the devil; help to free a slave and you may create an entirely different revolution; once a villain, always a villain. Straying from the typical destiny or fate route, Cloud Atlas shows us that, if we are chosen, our actions will carry over with us from one life to the next, yet that it is never too late to repent and to cast away the demons that may torment us from past deeds.
?? ?The film covers six main story lines. In chronological order, these include: a white lawyer (Jim Sturgess) who befriends a slave (David Gyasi) while sailing, a composer (Ben Whishaw) seeking a musical mentor to perfect his masterpiece for his lover (James D'Arcy), a journalist (Halle Berry) chasing a big story, a book editor (Jim Broadbent) trying to escape, a clone (Donna Bae) sparking a revolution, and a man (Tom Hanks) trying to get rid of technology, the woman who brings it, and the spirit who compels him to. Each story leaves behind one piece that influences the events of the next, weaving together an anthology that spans centuries and shows how one choice can influence every future.
?? ?The greatest accomplishment of this film is in the recurrence of the same actors in playing different characters, perceived to be reincarnations of their former selves. Hanks, for example, plays everything from a helpful 17th century doctor to a technophobic tribal uncle; Whishaw plays both a composer and a man in a music store who later admires great symphonies. Susan Sarandon continually appears as a parental-type figure, while Hugh Grant and Hugo Weaving comprise most of the film's antagonists. While some of these figures are easily noticeable as the same actor, others are nearly unrecognizable and provide a fun reveal during the credits of the film. Kudos to the makeup crew of over twenty people who made this happen.
?? ?With a run time just shy of 3 hours, Cloud Atlas may sound an intimidating feat. Rest assured, the epic ? and it is, in every way, an epic ? makes good use of its time. The pace of the film rises and falls as waves on the shore. As soon as the film slows to a level you feel that cannot possibly endure, a conflict arises to bring you back into the action. The film hits multiple highs while still leaving enough intensity for the ending to be fulfilling. This is something bolstered by the editing, which stitches together each storyline into a fluid motion, excepting the few appropriately situated juxtapositions.
?? ?Rest assured, this movie is not science-fiction alone. Hanks' and Berry's many characters often find each other again. The composer and his lover have a touching story as well, one which Berry's journalist unfolds through letters. There are countless action sequences, from a group of cannibals murdering a father and his son to the slave proving his worth as a seaman and everything in between. Bae's rescuer is particularly adept at fighting, leading to some of the most awesome fight scenes in a style reminiscent of The Matrix (also written and directed by Cloud Atlas's Wachowski siblings, though Tom Tykwer rounded out the duo for Cloud Atlas).
?? ?Beyond anything else, this film is beautiful. From the nearly seamlessly integrated CGI to the melancholic and intense soundtrack that accompanies each important moment, from the stunning locations to the grandiose cinematography, Cloud Atlas is an expertly choreographed ballet of past and future, real and imagined, and the ultimate power of choice and consequence. It is our generation's Dune, a stand-alone film that captures science fiction of the modern era and is best seen on the big screen.
?? ?Last, but certainly not least, I feel it's important to acknowledge the masterful way in which race and gender were handled in the film. While at first I wondered at Caucasian actors playing Asian characters, I realized that the reverse was true in the film as well, alongside male actors playing female characters and vice-versa. Cloud Atlas shifts what is to be expected from race and gender in the standard Hollywood film in order to create a new expectation: that this is the story being told and any and every person may be male, female, fat, thin, Black, Asian, White, beautiful, or ugly and the audience should simply enjoy the film in its own world instead of applying their existing stereotypes or prejudices to it. The result is that the film attempts to isolate itself from the existing world to integrate the audience member as much as possible into the experience.
?? ?So, go ahead. Sit down, turn off your cell phone, and go along for the ride. At worst, even if you hate the story, you will still have experienced something unique and exciting. If you love it, then you will have found an experience beyond watching a movie and transcending into an appreciation for what art can do. Whatever you do, do yourself a favor and see it in theaters.
Source: http://www.thesuffolkvoice.net/arts-entertainment/experience-an-epic-1.2938432
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