Review: Cloud Atlas (2012) says little but does so beautifully.

Cloud Atlas

2012
165 minutes
rated R

by Scott Mendelson

At a glance, Cloud Atlas is exactly the kind of movie we say we want from mainstream Hollywood.  It is a grandly ambitious and visually dynamic adventure story, filled with a parade of fine actors and often unexpected plot turns.  It is a piece not about things but about ideas, delivered with high style and in a mostly entertaining fashion.  But if I am honest with myself and with you, I must confess that the many nuggets of wisdom to be found in Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski, and Tom Tykwer's sprawling epic don't amount to much.  There is little to challenge the mind and nothing beyond fortune cookie platitudes and the philosophy seems to explicitly apply to the main characters.  But if the philosophy doesn't dig any deeper than "Everything is connected." or "What is an ocean, but a multitude of drops?", the film is indeed a mostly entertaining piece of unconventional popcorn cinema.  There is much to admire and appreciate in the world of Cloud Atlas, even if it doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

Trailer Analysis: Visually dazzling Cloud Atlas seems like the exact sort of ambitious film-making we claim we want.

Wow... just wow.  This went up a few days ago in a bootleg form, but it was worth the wait for the pristine 1080p version.  This is exactly the kind of film that we claim Hollywood lacks the nerve to make and yet here it is.  It's based on an acclaimed science fiction novel.  It stars the likes of Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturges, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, Keith David, Jim Broadbent, and James D'Arcy.  It cost $100 million to make yet looks like it cost $500 million.  It's rated R.  It runs 164 minutes.  For those who claim that Hollywood doesn't make movies for adults anymore, you kinda have a duty to check this out in three months.  Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis are co-directing this Warner Bros pick-up and it looks pretty spectacular to say the least.  Since I have not read the 2004 book that this film is based on, I cannot say how spoiler-ish this footage is, but considering how under-the-radar this picture is 90 days before its debut, I'd argue that this is a necessary marketing tool to get people talking.  Long story short, this looks spectacular and instantly shoots to the upper-realms of my 'must-see' list for fall/winter 2012.  To be fair my secret wish is for Cloud Atlas to be so good that it causes people to reevaluate the inexplicably undervalued brilliance of Speed Racer and even (to a lesser extent) the Matrix sequels.  Cloud Atlas opens on October 26th.  I suppose 'we'll see', but yeah, go see it regardless.

Scott Mendelson