angry_foamy

Damn! This movie was something else. To start, I didn't know much of the film prior to seeing it. I watched the trailer once and didn't even finish it as to not ruin anything for myself when I saw it.

This movie is labeled as an action drama, but may have just been labeled as a thriller for the palatable tension the movie created for the viewer. Similar to Everest, there were swathes of this movie where I was truly on the edge of my seat with my hands on each side of my face. The score creates this sickening tension that leaves you with the sensation that all hell could break loose at any second. The music coupled with the eerie and vast cinematography reminiscent of Seven and the 1st season of True Detective gave me a feeling of lost abandon and hopelessness throughout the film which of course, ties into the story.

As for the story, do not expect your typical hand fed Hollywood plot. You will have to work to see all of the inter-workings and under-workings of the story that's being told. There is always a feeling in this film of something sinister working underneath it all. The story is only bolstered up by the complex and ever so cool characters that take the billing of this movie. And it's not just the three stars of the film that will draw your interest, the side characters and sub plots will have you rooting for or against anyone at any time.

Every film has a complaint and this film is no exception. I did indeed have an issue with one character's particular development in the 3rd act of the film, but to avoid the risk of ruining anything for anyone, I'll leave my own reservations to myself. My only comments on the matter is that I felt the character's development did not seem to coincide with what was originally intended, but the development was perhaps an afterthought.

Even with wrong turn, the film pulls out a work of art, a modern and fresh Traffic if you will, darker and more grand in scale. The content of the story is relevant and most will appreciate the content. The message, if there is one to be taken from the film can be interpreted two different ways I think. This is a cinephile's film. The pace of the film will be lost on most as the director builds his slow, albeit ever increasing beat to a crescendo that will leave you discussing the film afterwards for certain, as was my case.

8/10

My wife and I were able to see an advanced showing of Cloud Atlas last night at The Chicago International Film Festival. I will say that I was thrilled to see this movie from the moment I saw the initial trailer release. I am a huge fan of movies that are epic in nature and are rather daring by taking on the task of time lines that may span a millennia.

I will not provide any spoilers but I will say that the film is truly grand in scope and as you may have deduced from the trailer, the film time span passes through hundreds of years and includes many characters and story lines that are interwoven or overlap.

I cannot say enough about the performances in the film. From top to bottom, everyone displays amazing performances. Hugo Weaving obviously is a show stopper in several scenes. The make-up and costume design will throw even the seasoned film-goer off as the transitions made by these characters are nothing short of spectacular. I cannot see another film coming close to being in the same category for the Oscar in Costume and Make-Up.

The visuals and the score of the movie were the biggest takeaways for me. There were moments that reminded me of Blade Runner mixed with Out of Africa. There are a large number of stories within the film, some large and some small, but many strong enough to be individual films themselves. That being said with the long running time of the film, almost 3 hours, coupled with the multitude of story lines and the very numerous edits, the film can be a daunting task for even a seasoned viewer. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't fighting to pay close attention to every detail to the first hour of the film to understand what was happening. The first 10 minutes alone caused me some confusion.

This film will not be for everyone due to its complexity and length, but for those who are true fans of films this epic in nature will truly appreciate the film. I very much look forward to another viewing of the film and encourage everyone to see the film at least once.

Cheers