“Cloud Atlas” (**1/2 OUT OF ****) qualifies as a pretentious
philosophical potboiler. The premise of this lavish $100 million epic is that
mankind is connected across the millennium in our pursuit of happiness. “The Matrix” co-helmers Lana and Andy
Wachowski along with “Run Lola Run” director Tom Tykwer have bitten off more
than they can contend with in their convoluted adaptation of bestselling
British author David Mitchell’s award-winning novel. The filmmakers argue that nobody resides in a
vacuum, and everybody exerts an integral influence in the evolution of
mankind. Everything amounts to an
eternal loop. A defiant replicant,
Sonmit-451, summarizes their collective ideology: “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." Touting a laudable liberal agenda and
boasting an incomparable cast, this schizophrenic science fiction saga serves
up six insipid B-movie plots which intertwine as they unfold in a disorienting
daze. Each episode concerns three chief
characters and depicts them battling an oppressive system that engages in some
form of prejudice. Two visual threads tie these stories together. First, some characters share a comet-shaped
birthmark. Second, all appear in
multiple roles. The Wachowskis told “The
New Yorker” magazine that the actors represented migratory souls that evolve
over time into a higher state of consciousness.
The first story takes place in 19th century Hawaii. An
American attorney, Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess of “One Day”), purchases Maori
slaves for his racist father-in-law.
During his sojourn on the island, Ewing suspects he is being poisoned by
Dr. Henry Goose (Tom Hanks) who is treating him for parasitic worm. According to Dr. Goose, the worm is devouring
Ewing’s brain. Actually, Dr. Goose
covets the key around Ewing’s neck that will unlock a treasure chest. Meantime, Ewing has smuggled a slave, Autua
(David Gyasi), aboard the sailing ship. The bond of friendship between them convinces
the lawyer to become an abolitionist.
During the 1930s, in Belgium, a destitute, young, gay musician, Robert
Frobisher (Ben Whishaw), works as an amanuensis for a cantankerous composer,
Vyvyan Ayrs (Jim Broadbent of “Inkheart”), who is losing his memory. One of the books Frobisher reads at Ayrs’
mansion is Adam Ewing’s seafaring chronicle.
Tempers flare up between Frobisher and Ayrs when the youth writes a
symphony, the Cloud Atlas Sextet, which Ayrs claims as his own. Frobisher pulls a pistol on Ayrs, packs up
his symphony, and goes into hiding. The
action shifts to San Francisco in 1973.
A crusading journalist, Luisa Rey (Hallie Berry), obtains a confidential
report about a possible meltdown at a nuclear power plant. An assassin stalks
not only Luisa but also Dr. Isaac Sachs (Tom Hanks) who acted as the
whistle-blower. The next story occurs in
contemporary London. An ill-fated book
publisher, Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent), goes into hiding after some thugs
threaten him about royalty payments.
Timothy’s brother Denholme (Hugh Grant) arranges sanctuary for him. Timothy discovers too late that Denholme has
committed him to a retirement home that he cannot leave. In the next story, set in Neo Seoul in 2144,
a genetically-engineered female fabricant, Sonmi~451 (Donna Bae of “The Host”),
who toils in a fast-food restaurant, participates in a revolution against an
Orwellian corporatocracy. The final
story takes place after a planetary apocalypse in 2346. Meronym (Hallie Berry), a survivor of a
technologically-advanced society, persuades a superstitious goat herder Zachry
(Tom Hanks) to guide her up a treacherous mountain to an outpost named Cloud
Atlas, so she can transmit a message to humans who have abandoned Earth and
reside on distant planets. Zachry and
Meronym speak in a Pidgin English dialect that audiences may find difficult to
decipher.
The Wachowskis directed the Ewing chronicle and the two
sci-fi sagas, while Tykwer helmed the episodes about the composer, the
journalist and the publisher. They
cross-cut erratically between these yarns so all six end up being one single
story. One minute you’re up to your neck
in comedy, while the next minute you’re plunged into a tragedy. The gimmick of casting actors in various
roles doesn’t always succeed. Indeed, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, and Hugh
Grant aren’t convincing as Asian characters.
Ultimately, some plots emerge as more entertaining. The slapstick Timothy Cavendish plot
surpasses the serious, straightforward “Blade Runner” plot about an
insurrection in futuristic Korea. Part
of the problem with “Cloud Atlas” is that none of the characters is remotely
charismatic, and the plots are pretty lackluster, particularly Adam Ewing’s
adventures. Neither the Wachoswkis nor
Tykwer develop a palatable sense of either tension or suspense in these
stories. Sadly, despite its lofty
ambitions, this derivative 163-minute melodramatic marathon suffers because
nothing about it constitutes a revelation.
