Cloud Atlas

An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.

Making more than one plot line cohesive, whilst also ensuring that the audience can keep up with you is a very difficult task. After dropping you in at the deep end over the first twenty minutes, Cloud Atlas achieves this admirably and goes on to reveal a cleverly formulated and intriguing film.

The Wachowskis are best known for writing and directing The Matrix and that sensibility can certainly be found in the more futuristic of the settings on offer here. This is by no means an action picture though, and is far more cerebral in both content and intention. It's ambitious in both structure and scope, but in large part fulfills what potential there is in the material, keeping you engaged throughout. It also provides a bit of a playground for those involved in bringing it to life.

The cast is impressive, not least because each of the main stars takes on several roles. Tom Hanks seems to relish in this and gives it his all, whether it be as a valley-dwelling tribesman, a nuclear physicist, or a thuggish Irish author. In addition, each role is differentiated not only by the sets and costume, but often by heavy prosthetics. As each story is introduced, half the fun of the movie is trying to figure out who is under the layers of make-up. Some of the transformations are very well done, taking a few closeups to recognise who it is that's actually in the scene. Hugo Weaving in particular can be tough to identify, his turn as the formidable battleaxe Nurse Noakes being a highlight.

The performances hold the film together, but not so much that they end up carrying it. The details of the different story-lines and how they converge and connect, whilst at times hard work to calculate, are rewarding and on occasion profound. There's a lot to think about as the action plays out and the ease with which you might get lost if not paying full attention may put some off. There's an emphasis on life choices dramatically changing the outcome of events, and the consequences of the characters' decisions are often heavily focused upon, whether the outcome be good or bad.

There's so much to get to grips with here and I'm not going to pretend that I completely understood everything that the picture had to say. I suspect that more would come to light with repeated viewings. I also feel that it's a movie that would grow in stature the more you see it, not least due to the layered nature of the plot. However, even on first viewing, there's much to enjoy and I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

The Verdict:

7/10
A huge undertaking that is very successful on the whole. Concentration will likely be needed to keep up with the structure, but the film is plenty enjoyable to prevent this from becoming a chore.