CLOUD ATLAS

If this seems like a complex proposition, you aren’t wrong, and everything is set-up for ‘Cloud Atlas’ to collapse under its own weight. Add to that three directors working with two separate crews, including two cinematographers, major film units shooting concurrently on multiple continents, actors moved around between each, and one poor editor having to contend with all the material... this film should not work at all. Yet, against all logic and reason, these impossible circumstances culminate to create a film the likes of which we haven’t seen in a very long time. Somehow, ‘Cloud Atlas’ turns out to be magnificent.

There’s not much to say about the craftsmanship of this film, other than it presents some of the most dynamic artists working today at the top of their games. Audiences have been waiting for Tykwer and the Wachowskis to follow up on the promise of their 90s hits, but collectively they achieve a sense of the cinematic that far exceeds their previous work. Their various directing styles come together beautifully, and the eclectic styles and genres never clash against one another. It also helps that the trio worked together on the screenplay, a superb juggling act in itself, a perfect balance between philosophical musings, ridiculous comedy and pure poetic emotion. All the technical elements are in total harmony in ‘Cloud Atlas’, from the stunning cinematography and the miraculous editing, to the tremendous feat of production and make-up design, to the sublime orchestral score - so much so that, unlike most films, there isn’t one element more impressive than the other. The same can be said for the astounding actors they have assembled. Even with such talents as Tom Hanks, Jim Sturgess, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Ben Whishaw, Hugo Weaving, Doona Bae, Hugh Grant, James D’Arcy and Susan Sarandon, you can’t single out one performance being better than another. This may be due to the ease and fluidity with which each moves between characters and times, and the balance between who-plays-whom means that there is no driving protagonist to ‘Cloud Atlas’, no lead star. It is one of the truest examples of an ensemble we have seen in many years, and functions as a true ensemble should, as cogs in a large machine, all calibrated perfectly to create something unique.

With all these pieces in play, however, ‘Cloud Atlas’ somehow transcends its filmmaking to become something much more overpowering. Where the film soars is in its sweeping emotional scope, a symphonic exploration of birth, life and death; past, present and future; love, hate and sacrifice. It’s so rare to find a film that dares to tackle the breadth of the human condition, and often times, when a film does try, it fails dismally or is instantly rejected. Not since 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy has the visual possibilities of cinema and technology been utilised with such breathtaking scope, but the true epic sweep of ‘Cloud Atlas’ comes with its emotional scope, as each narrative draws towards their crescendos, always a matter of life and death, and equal parts inspiring and devastating. Over its almost three-hour running time, which never lags in the slightest, it dares to pose to us the question of what it is to be human, to be alive, to love and to die and to fight for the right to exist. It’s not often a film has the guts to tackle something so impossible but so important.

Many people are not going to like this film. That certainly isn’t their fault; film is an incredibly personal experience, especially when it deals with these kinds of themes. That also doesn’t mean, however, that there’s something wrong with ‘Cloud Atlas’. We are incredibly cynical audiences, and the conceit of the film could easily be interpreted as pretentious or rambling or dull. This is one of those films that you either love or you hate, and if the U.S. box office is anything to go by, audiences haven’t found a connection with this film. But then again, the same happened with ‘Blade Runner’. And ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. And ‘The Fountain’. All these films have since become, or are starting to be considered, classics, and the common thread between them and this film is that they explore the same ideas of humanity and existence. ‘Cloud Atlas’ comes from a striking lineage, but not always one initially embraced or celebrated.

There is so much you could cover with this film, hence why this review is as long as it is, but a film like ‘Cloud Atlas’ is almost impossible to summarise. This is the kind of film that comes along very rarely, a true work of cinema that reminds us of what this medium is actually capable of. Many will disagree with me on this film; this isn’t a film for everyone, but it never tries to be anything other than what it is. In the opinion of this humble reviewer, however, that ‘Cloud Atlas’ was everything I wanted and much, much more. It is a true work of art with a message that ripples through your heart and soul, of how hard and impossible and sublime it is to be alive. It demonstrates exactly what cinema is capable of, the overwhelming artistic and emotional scope it can encompass, pushing it as far as seems possible. For me, ‘Cloud Atlas’ is a miracle, a masterpiece, and one of the greatest films ever made.