Extravagant Pieces

Rating: 8/10 (6 December 2012)

As seen in the five minute trailer, Cloud Atlas is clearly about reincarnation. It is connected in six stories, in six eras, with six different genres. It begins with Adventure, Drama, Thriller, Comedy, Sci-Fi Action, and lastly Fantasy. The film also runs in almost three hours. It sounds like it's gonna be an epic thrill ride. To be honest, I'm not familiar with David Mitchell's book that this is based on. Some might not expect that all the stories are told in a complex way. They are not back to back segments. Though, they can be all pretty entertaining and gorgeous to look at, but it will still give you a strange mind perplex.
Cloud Atlas is not subtle enough for its concept but you'll still get a mind perplex effect after seeing it. The stories are not told in an easy back-to-back manner. Each stories are told simultaneously for one scene to another. The film has three directors. The Wachowskis has the fantasy, adventure, and action stories. "An Orison of Sonmi~451" is a pure "Wachowski" with their trademark visual designs and action scenes. The intro of the story is intriguing then further more it gets coated on the clashing chases. The "Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After" sequence is fantastic to look at with a strange camp and whimsy that is so fascinating.
Tom Tykwer takes the non-fantasy dramas that also posses some great performances. "Letters from Zedelghem" is ought to be depressing. The merit there goes to Ben Whishaw who placed genuine emotion to the tale. "The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish" segment is fun, mostly because of its quirky direction and Jim Broadbent's delighting portrayal of the character. It's funny because of all the climaxes, this one has the most exciting.
For the rest of the performances, Tom Hanks usually appears as a Scottish/Irish scum, but he finally plays his earnest self in the rest. Hugo Weaving effectively uses his villainy menace, no matter what race or gender he is in. Hugh Grant has the same feat with Weaving but in a more tool type.
For its filmmaking, it's undeniably incredible. The costumes, makeup, and visual effects made everything so magnificent. These things alone can already make this film worth a watch. The music score is stirringly magnetic. The visuals are breathtaking. The makeup is a bit silly but still great.
Cloud Atlas is indeed extravagant. It's watchable as long as if you can take its peculiarity. It's large and long, but it will still take a bit of thinking about the connections of the stories. The entertainment and fascination is unobjectionable. The technical achievement is remarkably amazing. The filmmakers did their job well enough by their ambition. It seems like it's a serious challenge to make a film like this. Cloud Atlas is thoroughly strange but it's quite marvelous.