Cloud Atlas - 7 stars out of 10

Cloud Atlas - 7 stars out of 10
900th Review

How can you possibly put "Cloud Atlas" into words?  I couldn't even tell you if it is good or if it is bad, let alone try to explain what you will see during this visual "experience" that takes place in different styles throughout many different eras of human existence!  This review is designed to make you curious, not to create the impression that this is going to be like "The Tree of Life" (which I found to be a terrible, terrible movie).  "Cloud Atlas" is absolutely in a world of its own, weaving together six different stories that occur in the South Pacific (1849), Cambridge (1936), San Francisco (1973), United Kingdom (2012), Korea (2144), and Hawaii (2321).  The characters are loosely related from one story to the next, having a connection to the previous era either by reading the journal of a character,  editing a fictional manuscript describing the events, or even a coincidental meeting with one of the characters.  After reading a review of the book, I feel that this concept was under-emphasized in the movie and that the cohesiveness between stories suffered as a result.  The characters are also related by reincarnation, showing that one soul develops throughout many lifetimes.  This is represented by each actor playing six different roles (young, old, male, female, hero, villain).  If nothing else, "Cloud Atlas" is a triumph of acting.  The transformation of Tom Hanks from old, murderous doctor to non-threatening innkeeper to young, heroic scientist to homicidal, f-bomb dropping gangster to movie actor to one of the final survivors of mankind is simply stunning.  Each actor is stretched to their limits in several dramatically different roles and the contrast is spectacular as all of these stories quickly alternate back and forth in this masterpiece of editing.  David Gyasi portrays the best individual character as the slave Autua while Jim Sturgess undergoes the most impressive  transformation from the aristocratic Adam Ewing to the Asian Hae-Joo Chang.  The make-up is incredibly complex as it adapts the age, race, and gender of each actor.  There are a few instances where the make-up is less than convincing (particularly Doona Bae as a Mexican) but that is barely worth noting in the scope of this epic example of actor transformation.  I am surprised that the film did not receive an Oscar nomination for Best Make-Up, though it is pretty clear that the Academy did not care for the film.  The music was beautiful, the futuristic special effects were very well-done, and I think that the film at least deserved one nomination to acknowledge the difficulty of putting this story onto the screen.  On top of the acting and storytelling, the film represents a multitude of genres, rapidly transitioning between dramatic fight against racism, romantic tragedy, mystery thriller, quirky comedy, dystopian sci-fi, and primitive epic journey.  "Cloud Atlas" is unlike anything that you have ever seen and, although you will be completely lost after the first 4 minutes, the payoff is worth it in the end.