Cloud Atlas

The movie starts by jumping through time.  We see Adam Ewing meet Dr. Goose on a beach in 1849, Robert Frobisher jumps out of a hotel window to avoid paying the bill in 1936, reporter Luisa Rey leaves a party and gets stuck on an elevator in 1973, publisher Tim Cavendish watches a client attack a critic in 2012, Sonmi-451 is interviewed in prison in the 22nd century, and Zachry the tribesman hides among the rocks as his companions are slaughtered by cannibals a century after the apocalypse.  It is confusing, to say the least.  It is also strange to see the same actors taking parts in each of the time periods.  Tom Hanks is Dr. Goose in 1849, he's a hotel manager in 1936, a nuclear scientist in 1973, a would-be author in 2012, a briefly seen actor on TV in the 22nd century, and a cowardly tribesman after the apocalypse.  Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Susan Sarandon, Hugo Weaving, Keith David, and the rest likewise have roles in most of the time periods, often with so much makeup that I didn't recognize them.  Really, who expects Hugh Grant to play a face-painted, blood-thirsty cannibal or Halle Berry to be a blonde Jew in the 1930s?

 

Eventually, the bonding agent of the various storylines comes to light.  Zachry the post-apocalyptic tribesman watches a video of Sonmi-451 the 22nd century clone who watches an old movie about publisher Tim Cavendish who reads a book submitted by reporter Luisa Rey who reads old love letters written by Robert Frobisher who reads the diary of Adam Ewing.  Also, the lead character in each story has a birthmark that looks like a shooting star.

 

The movie is quite long, only a shade under 3 hours.  Each story has a very different feel, making the transition from one to the next sometimes awkward.  There is the Pacific voyage of 1849, the drama of the 1930s, the mystery of the 1970s, the comedy of 2012, the sci-fi epic of the 22nd century, and the post-Apocalypse.  Often, the makeup fails.  Hugo Weaving is not convincing as a Korean, and Doona Bae is even less convincing as a Caucasian from 1850 or a Mexican woman from the 1970s.  However, Hugo Weaving's turn as Nurse Ratchet was funny if not convincing.

 

Doubtless, this was a joy for the actors who got to play a variety of roles - some of which were vastly against type - in one movie.  Really, how else could Hugh Grant be cast as a cannibal, Halle Berry as a blonde Jew, or Tom Hanks as an Irish thug?

 

Entertaining in its parts but not satisfying as a whole.