Mainstream movies usually aim to be, what they call in the
industry, a four-quadrant-hit; a movie that attracts young males, old females,
old males and young females. It’s rare when a movie like “Avatar” can actually
do this and create the kind of jumbo success that studio’s marketing research
has been working towards for years.
“Cloud Atlas” is the new feature film by the Wachowski’s, the
wonder-siblings responsible for “The Matrix”. It's co-directed by Tom Tykwer, the
German art-house filmmaker of “Run Lola Run” fame. It aims not only to attract every age, but
every fan of every genre, within the framework of a comprehensive, if not
somewhat labored, hundred-million dollar experiment.
The
plot of “Cloud Atlas” follows many stories that intercut in 3-10 minute increments
all throughout its duration. Halley Berry, Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent, Jim
Sturges, Hugh Grant and Hugo Weaving, as well as a few other major players, all
play many characters in multiple tales that cross through various times and
places in history--some in the distant future, some in the historical past, and
some in the present day. From story to story, each actor plays against age,
gender, and race, hinting towards an inherent connection between time and
space. With mixed results, the film
explores genre juxtaposition and different editing rhythms in search for a
single meaning or recurring theme within its greater context.
Though
I can’t say that the movie completely achieves everything that it aims for, its
ambition is admirable. The scope and
scale of this project is truly epic—a word that is often thrown around, but
rarely appropriate—but the depth of “Cloud Atlas” is what left me wanting. With
all of its narrative gymnastics and high flatulent philosophizing aside, the
movie doesn’t actually say very much about its countless characters and how we
are supposed to feel about the multi-stranded events that unfold. But it all looks pretty fantastic and for
much of its length I was having fun, even if I was occasionally frustrated or
bored by some of the mini-movies within the movie.
Because
a limited amount of actors are playing several different parts, a lot of the
plots hinge on the effectiveness of the makeup and performances. Broadbent and
Weaving are chameleonic character-actors and can gracefully flow from style to
style as they are asked to bring a different quality from scene to scene.
Halley Berry and Doona Bae, a Korean actress who is also used throughout, don’t
have the same kind of range and versatility and often look outlandish or
distracting when they are made up against their type. And then you have Tom Hanks, who always looks
like Tom Hanks no matter what, but who is inexplicably able to bend and mold
into whatever ridiculous setting he is asked to inhabit.
As I
have already mentioned, this film is bargain buyers experience; 6 movies for
the price of one. You have science fiction, fantasy, historical romance,
situational comedy, political espionage, and a post-apocalyptic
psycho-thriller. You get your money’s
worth, as this movie is stuffed to brim full of movie, but it’s also just as
full of itself. I kept waiting for everything to come together or a greater
meaning to coalesce and that never really happens. The task of piecing together
each plot as the film is going is a little trying at times and when searching
for the subtext, I was left with little reward for all my hard work. There is obviously something in there about
personal freedom, and something about the nature of mankind through the ages,
and some eastern illusions towards reincarnation, but ultimately, unlike “2001:
a Space Odyssey” or last year’s “Tree of Life”, this isn’t a movie about ideas;
it’s a (sometimes entertaining) movie about set-pieces and age makeup.
Grade: C+
Originally published in the Idaho State Journal/Nov-2012
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