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Cloud Atlas Movie Review

Cloud Atlas is a 2012 epic science fiction film directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer and starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Jim Broadbent. It’s a very underappreciated movie.

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“Our lives are not our own.

From womb to tomb, we are bound to others.

Past and present.

And by each crime and every kindness,

we birth our future“

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Six individuals belonging to different generations go on an emotional ride while exploring how human actions impact the lives of their loved ones in this ever-changing world. Based on a titular book that was deemed unfilmable, this is a story unlike any other, and an experiment that needs to be admired for how ambitious it is.

What we have here are six stories that happen in various different eras in history. Each era is solidly represented in terms of screen time and momentum, but of course some are more interesting than others. 1849 is generally not particularly engaging, though the last scene is absolutely amazing, but more on that later.

1936 features a very touching gay romance and is one of the more heartwarming and heartbreaking storylines in the movie. 1973 and 2012 are undoubtedly my least favorite parts. Both feature some memorable characters, but not much in terms of substance and/or memorable themes and plot points.

2144 is the most SF of the bunch and it is stellar. Neo Seoul looked so cool and suitably futuristic while the ‘Blade Runner’ visuals and themes were excellent and so well explored. 2321 took its time to get there, but eventually it became fascinating as this connective thread for the entire film.

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The main issue here is the editing. I did like the choice to chronologically feature the segments at first, but afterward they get scattered. That was an inspired choice that worked well as the visuals and thematic touches were well connected between the segments. However, sometimes the length of the segments felt disconnected as some were abruptly ended while others went on for way too long. It’s a messy film and uneven in terms of the segments’ quality.

However, how could anybody do this type of film and not make it be messy. This is why I find Cloud Atlas to be hugely underrated and very wrongly judged by way too many unappreciative critics. This is the type of inspired, ambitious project that needs to be admired despite its flaws, and I do believe it is going to benefit from repeated viewings.

The heart of the film lies in that final scene in 1849 where we get to realize the main message of the entire movie – by comparing a water drop to a vast ocean, we realize that the world has always been and will continue to be full of crime, evil and injustice, but just a single act of kindness will always have the power to ripple through time and lead to necessary changes. It was thus inspired how the film connected injustices future to past, as a result making a claim that throughout human history injustices died out, but new ones were then born.

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The use of same actors for every role in all storylines was admirable, but ultimately problematic as Tom Hanks and Halle Berry in particular struggled in certain roles, though both flourished when they were well cast. Bae Doona is one of the standouts as she’s magnificent throughout, and Jim Broadbent is fantastic as always. Cloud Atlas also features an absolutely phenomenal, truly moving and grandiose score as well as great sets, costumes and attention to detail. It looks and sounds terrific with the cinematography and VFX also being superb.

“What is an ocean but a multitude of drops?” The most meaningful quote of Cloud Atlas emphasizes how the world has been and always will be riddled with evil and injustice, and how important a single act of kindness that can impact and change the future is. Though obviously messy in terms of editing and acting, Cloud Atlas is still a highly misunderstood gem that needs to be admired for its impressive multiple-era structure that was mostly very well interconnected. The film is an audio-visual treat, but above all else a very inspired, moving experiment that can only benefit from repeat viewings.