Cloud Atlas - Movie Review

Movie Review

“Our lives are not our own, we are bound to others, past and present. And by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.” (Cloud Atlas - Film)

“Power, time, gravity, love. The forces that really kick ass are all invisible.” (Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell )

Cloud Atlas is not one but six stories whose storylines are tendrils interlaced and woven together to create a history of sorts. We move from from the Pacific of 1849 through post apocolyptic Earth where valley people are living a primitive life with the threat of extinction ever present. The ending, like the very beginning is somewhere else entirely.

The work of the actors in this film is phenomenal. The surroundings eye-catching. The orchestration of the narratives done with a deft hand of direction, making the audience feel like they are watching more of a historical account than a fairy-tale. All of that is not what made me want to give this film two thumbs up . In fact what makes me a admirer of this film may be what will cause it to be shunned by audiences that prefer their cinema to be of a simpler design; one that doesn’t require you to pay attention. Cloud Atlas does require your attention. There are recurring themes much as the lives being portrayed have elements that surface over and over, and the struggle as more than one character notices, “Just trying to understand why we keep making the same mistakes over and over… “ Many do repeat those mistakes but love is also an enduring theme as well as the cause of freedom and the cost of freedom. Whether you ascribe to the Buddhist or Hindu outlook of the film or simply look at the stories as examples of repeating behaviors in humanity over time, it brings home how the deeds individuals and the consequences that they bring influences the world. Past past, present and the future are all impacted by individuals and the larger forces and patterns are not immune from the actions of even the least of us.

by June K. Willams