Cloud Atlas

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  • Cloud Atlas

    Attended the premiere last night. The event was very fun - most of the cast including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent were present.

    As for the movie - bravura filmmaking, to be sure. Bold, ambitious, beautiful - and must be seen on the big screen. Seeing the actors all play multiple roles was fun. It's worth going for Hugh Grant alone.

    I think by now everyone knows its 6 different stories, set in different times but linked by theme and character. Of the 6, I was very interested in 3 and would have liked even more of those stories - the other 3, not as much. And even at almost 3 hours, I still had questions about certain plot points (also the sound in Grauman's Chinese is terrible.)

    But it will be around in awards season, for sure.

    Amanda
    Last edited by Done Deal Pro; 10-08-2020, 03:01 PM. Reason: Added tags
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  • #2
    Re: Cloud Atlas

    Originally posted by ScriptGal View Post
    Attended the premiere last night. The event was very fun - most of the cast including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent were present.

    As for the movie - bravura filmmaking, to be sure. Bold, ambitious, beautiful - and must be seen on the big screen. Seeing the actors all play multiple roles was fun. It's worth going for Hugh Grant alone.
    That does sound like lots of fun.

    Agree with all of the above, but.....

    It became a bit tedious and repetitive, and incessant cutting among the various storylines did not serve to keep me on the edge of my seat.

    The philosophical/metaphysical underpinning (not that I could explain what it was) seemed rather too thin to support the movie's epic scope.

    One of the more entertaining parts was the closing credits, which showed images of the multiple characters played by each of the major stars, eliciting occasional amused gasps of surprise from some of the hardy few who remained in the theater that long.

    I'll nominate for best makeup.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Cloud Atlas

      Unfortunately, the film was a box office bust this weekend and it most likely will be a theatrical release bomb.

      Why? Besides the confusion about the multiple character lead roles...

      IMO. Nobody can tell from the trailer(s) what the movie is all about.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Cloud Atlas

        Originally posted by Authorized View Post
        Unfortunately, the film was a box office bust this weekend and it most likely will be a theatrical release bomb.

        Why? Besides the confusion about the multiple character lead roles...

        IMO. Nobody can tell from the trailer(s) what the movie is all about.
        That's probably true. And maybe when people can't figure it out from the trailer, they tend to look to reviews more to figure it out and most of the reviews I read panned it.

        It's also got kind of a stupid and forgettable title...as in it's hard to tie it back to the preview when you're reading it on the marquee (at least, for me). I think Rise of the Guardians is going to have the same problem. What a horrible title.
        On Twitter @DeadManSkipping

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        • #5
          Re: Cloud Atlas

          I liked it, but parts of it were very confusing - the dialogue in the far future story was really tough to understand, for one thing - and I'm not even sure I totally comprehended the point of it all. BUT I like that I went away thinking about it, and some of the stories were really great, and it was certainly beautiful. It was an action movie and a serious drama and a comedy and a thriller all at the same time, which was cool.

          But the fact that it's tough to pin down what it's about, and that even some of the dialogue was tough to follow, that undoubtedly put people off.
          Chicks Who Script podcast

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          • #6
            Re: Cloud Atlas

            Originally posted by emily blake View Post
            ...I like that I went away thinking about...
            I agree with this. I watched it and wasn't sure how I felt. When I woke up the next morning I was thinking about it for the rest of the day. For some reason I liked this movie and haven't quite put all my thoughts together about it.

            A lot of people walked out during my viewing.
            -chris

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Cloud Atlas

              Originally posted by ScriptGal View Post
              Attended the premiere last night. The event was very fun - most of the cast including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent were present.

              As for the movie - bravura filmmaking, to be sure. Bold, ambitious, beautiful - and must be seen on the big screen. Seeing the actors all play multiple roles was fun. It's worth going for Hugh Grant alone.

              I think by now everyone knows its 6 different stories, set in different times but linked by theme and character. Of the 6, I was very interested in 3 and would have liked even more of those stories - the other 3, not as much. And even at almost 3 hours, I still had questions about certain plot points (also the sound in Grauman's Chinese is terrible.)

              But it will be around in awards season, for sure.

              Amanda
              If only this was written as a spec by an unknown. It would've been a great challenge for you Amanda with coverage/notes etc.

              Still, glad you liked it. I really hope this film performs well internationally. Otherwise -- it's back to dump remakes/sequels!

              Though - Looper was solid and has made a profit!!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Cloud Atlas

                I hated how the stories were told.

                I never had time to get familiar with the characters therefore never understanding them and caring.

                Also the comet was a big distraction: the casting told me who was reincarnating into who, but the comet kept blowing the rule, so i found myself arguing who was who and I ended up missing what was happening.

                bad storytelling, bad indeed.

                then i found out that the book was telling only the story of one reincarnation -- yes, the one with the comet.

                now, what? that changes everything!

                and, even worse, the book had the much better device of the russian doll storytelling.

                why the heck had they to change it?

                well, too bad. they are now paying for that misguided decision. poor box office.

                shame, i really wanted it to succede.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Cloud Atlas

                  I sensed a mild thematic tension between "all boundaries are conventions" and "death is only a doorway". Our mortality is clearly a boundary; wouldn't this suggest it is also a convention? Given all the buzz about reincarnation surrounding this movie, I had really hoped there would be some clearer exploration or argument concerning how to reconcile those two somewhat divergent themes. Death is the ultimate universal boundary; so why persist in calling it a "doorway" as though passing through it is inevitable? That view is beautiful and wise, but already very familiar from a variety of religions. The idea of lives "reverberating" through time is interesting and somewhat novel, I was just hoping for a deeper connection with the conclusion of the syllogism I hinted at (i.e. death is a boundary, all boundaries are conventions, therefore death is a convention). Of course this is less a criticism than a personal nitpick. The film is absolutely one of the best morsels to come along for cinephiles in this or any other year.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Cloud Atlas

                    I was really prepared to like this but was disappointed. Granted it was ambitious but that doesn't forgive its new agey goofiness. You can't make a film "thematic" just by having the characters state the theme (everything is connected, etc.) every five minutes - you have to actually CONNECT things!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Cloud Atlas

                      Originally posted by mlongton View Post
                      I was really prepared to like this but was disappointed. Granted it was ambitious but that doesn't forgive its new agey goofiness. You can't make a film "thematic" just by having the characters state the theme (everything is connected, etc.) every five minutes - you have to actually CONNECT things!
                      "A kindness can ripple through the ages." I thought that message, at least, was connected well enough. One was the man who risked everything to save the clone. Because he took that risk, it is implied that the horrible practices of his generation were subsequently abandoned. The same connection is made to abolitionists, and the news reporter who risked her life to expose what she did, and the composer who did what he did. They are all connected through their willingness to stick their necks out for the Greater Justice. Society benefits from the sacrifice of the courageous few. Sort of like, it's lonely for them during the time they're living, but they are connected to each other through time.

                      I liked the film, but it could have been much shorter! And it didn't need to jump around so much, which was confusing. Still, the theater was packed, even thought it's been out for some time, and the audience was engaged. And everyone got a huge kick out of the closing credits revealing which actors played who. Funny!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Cloud Atlas

                        Interesting idea, but "Where's the beef?"

                        The transmigration of souls, (or characters), interested me, (a key element in my screenplay RETROGRADE); but, I'll only credit this film with demonstrating why I shouldn't cast a few actors too often as main characters, (saying anything more about my screenplay would be a spoiler).

                        Given the budget for CLOUD ATLAS, I expected Hollywood actors, great visual effects, and technical genius. I think most of it was spent for the "name" actors and directors.

                        Actors:The repeated use of the same actor, with a ton of cosmetics and costumes, simply took me out of each episode's story. Once, twice, and, maybe, thrice, (if not distracting), an actor could surprise the audience as different characters. Here it was done to excess. Horribly distracting. Asian trying to portray a European, (and vice-versa), and males disguised as females! Who did they think they were? Peter Sellers?

                        Music: I felt my senses dulled, (as if subjected to muzak), and, by the end of the second hour, it had become irritating. Ranging from solo piano to intensely loud orchestra, there was a great diversity, then the harkening back to that "sextet" with all the excitement of a public service announcement. I don't think that there was a single piece of music that I'd remember, (or want to).

                        Screenplay: What happened? Cliché after cliché! I had n
                        o trouble following the different stories, (same as Griffith's INTOLERANCE). For a while, I was wondering if there was a subtle Tykwer-Wachowski effort to reference other science fiction films, (FAHRENHEIT 451, SOYLENT GREEN, BLADE RUNNER, LOGAN'S RUN, etc.), within their film
                        . Undoubtedly, there will be fans who'll find this story gets better and better, with repeated viewings; once was too often for me. None of the stories in a time period, by itself, would have provided an exciting half-hour show; six mediocre stories, in the past, present, and future, were like flipping back and forth across different television channels, trying to watch six shows. The only compliment that I can offer is that it was better than PROMETHEUS, ("dollar for dollar").

                        My prescription for any others, who'd like to forget having watched it:

                        EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS (Harryhausen's worst special effects, Hugh Marlowe's romantic hero, and lots of stock footage, shown free on YouTube)
                        JEKYLL & CANADA (free .mp4 download @ Vimeo.com)

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Cloud Atlas

                          I held off on this movie until I'd read the book and was very pleasantly surprised. It's a magical and beautifully realized film - and a very good adaptation - and I'll certainly watch it again.
                          TimeStorm & Blurred Vision Book info & blog: https://stormingtime.com//

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Cloud Atlas

                            Originally posted by Fortean View Post
                            Interesting idea, but "Where's the beef?"

                            The transmigration of souls, (or characters), interested me, (a key element in my screenplay RETROGRADE); but, I'll only credit this film with demonstrating why I shouldn't cast a few actors too often as main characters, (saying anything more about my screenplay would be a spoiler).

                            Given the budget for CLOUD ATLAS, I expected Hollywood actors, great visual effects, and technical genius. I think most of it was spent for the "name" actors and directors.

                            Actors:The repeated use of the same actor, with a ton of cosmetics and costumes, simply took me out of each episode's story. Once, twice, and, maybe, thrice, (if not distracting), an actor could surprise the audience as different characters. Here it was done to excess. Horribly distracting. Asian trying to portray a European, (and vice-versa), and males disguised as females! Who did they think they were? Peter Sellers?

                            Music: I felt my senses dulled, (as if subjected to muzak), and, by the end of the second hour, it had become irritating. Ranging from solo piano to intensely loud orchestra, there was a great diversity, then the harkening back to that "sextet" with all the excitement of a public service announcement. I don't think that there was a single piece of music that I'd remember, (or want to).

                            Screenplay: What happened? Cliché after cliché! I had n
                            o trouble following the different stories, (same as Griffith's INTOLERANCE). For a while, I was wondering if there was a subtle Tykwer-Wachowski effort to reference other science fiction films, (FAHRENHEIT 451, SOYLENT GREEN, BLADE RUNNER, LOGAN'S RUN, etc.), within their film
                            . Undoubtedly, there will be fans who'll find this story gets better and better, with repeated viewings; once was too often for me. None of the stories in a time period, by itself, would have provided an exciting half-hour show; six mediocre stories, in the past, present, and future, were like flipping back and forth across different television channels, trying to watch six shows. The only compliment that I can offer is that it was better than PROMETHEUS, ("dollar for dollar").

                            My prescription for any others, who'd like to forget having watched it:

                            EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS (Harryhausen's worst special effects, Hugh Marlowe's romantic hero, and lots of stock footage, shown free on YouTube)
                            That's it! That must be why I liked it -- Constantly flipping channels. Was never confused, and enjoyed the transitions. It was like an encyclopedia of throws.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Cloud Atlas

                              VERY seldom I walk away in the middle of a movie. I tried but I couldn't get through this one. After about 70 minutes, I just didn't care.

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