Cloud Atlas

We are all connected. Actions made to one another are repeated over and over again throughout time. If   one is kind to a person when your meet then when your soles meet again in a new lifetime that kindness will be remembered and repaid.

This is the premise of the new file Cloud Atlas from Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski siblings ( 2012  172 Minutes Germany USA Hong Kong Singapore).

Another theme through the piece is a soul can be a lowly their in one world and  a saged elder a few lifetimes later.

Timothy Cavendish( Jim Broadbent) serves as the narrator throughout the story. Cavendish is a publisher that rips off the mob and ends up a permanent resident in a retirement home courtesy of his older brother ( Hugh Grant).

The Story has three main settings; a 1849 voyage across the pacific ocean. An early 20th country home of a great composer, 1973 San Francisco, a futuristic world where all the service people are clones and the distant future where the residence are futuristic off landers and a primitive tribe.

In the South Pacific Adam  Ewing ( Jim Sturgess) is making his passage back him on a ship Captained by Captain Molyneux ( Jim Broadbent) fulfilling a slave contract for Maori slaves.  He has taken ill and is treated by Dr. Henry Goose who assistance does not appear to make Adam any better.  Adam befriends a run away Maori slave Autua who becomes part of the crew and very helpful to Adam Ewing at a critical time.

In the early 2oth Century Robert Frobisher goes to work for composer Vyvyan Ayrs (Jim Broadbent) and together they write a great masterpiece. Frobisher writes to his colleague Rufus Sixsmith updating him on the progress of the collaboration and hopes to see his colleague again.

In 1973 Louisa Rey ( Halle Berry) is working on a story about a nuclear power plant. She is granted a tour by the manager and tries to sneak out  a report assisted by a plant employee Issac Sachs ( Tom Hanks).

In current day Cavendish publishes a book for a mobster Dermot Hoggings ( Tom Hanks) Hoggings teaches a journalist a lesson at the book launch  and ends up in jail.  His book escalate in popularity and Cavendish keeps the profits until he is visited by the mob.  Cavendish Fleet to his brother for one last loan and ends up a permanent resident of a retirement community were the only way out is to escape.

Sonmi-451 ( Doona Bae ) is a clone in the future city of Neo Seoul she breaks pattern inspired by a fragment of a film on Timothy Cavendish and is assisted by Have-Joo Chang (Sturgess). Chang is part of a revolutionary group that believes that clones are equal to natural born people and can do more than just serve. Chang shows Sonmi-451 what really happens to the clones when the ascend and she  eventually she makes a speech that is that is an inspiration for the future.

Zachry watches his fellow villagers killed by the Kona barbarians in far future apocalyptic world. The Villagers  are primitive and the offlanders come by their island in crafts that hover across the water.  The world is dying and both the villagers and offlanders have to get off the island.  Meronym visits from the offenders  visits the villagers. She offers assistants when Zachry's niece  becomes sick in exchange for a guide to show her up into the mountains to an old satellite post.  Zachry takes her and she sends a message to her relatives off planet for a rescue.  In the temple inside the  satellite post they have drawings of a spiritual leader who the villagers also worship and is rooted in a character from earlier in the story.

Cloud Atlas has great visuals and the story although jumping from generation to generation is easy to follow because they all move forward at the same pace. The film does have some good elements but could have developed the near future story and the early 20th century story more.  The film has a lot of good pieces but it is not one that I can strongly recommend.


Rating ** 1/2 our of 4