Cloud Atlas

So this Saturday I went to see Cloud Atlas. I have been very excited about it coming out since I saw the first preview over a month ago. Unfortunately it didn't come out in Huntington so I had to wait around till I could make a trip to a bigger town.

I won't give anything away in this blog so have no fear. It was astounding though. I have not seen a movie like this in a long time. It was not the awe inspiring majesty of some films I have seen, but it was so unique I couldn't get over it. And there were times when it touched on brilliance.

Not all the credit can go to the Wachowski brothers, though they did a phenomenal job. The script was adapted from David Mitchell's book of the same name. And what a story it is. They seemlessly wove six different storylines together and they kept you asking questions until the very end when everything came together and you understood the entire movie all at once. It was a heavy moment when it all dawned on me.

Not only was the storytelling brilliant, the way it was filmed was amazing. All the actors played multiple, varying characters. For instance Halle Barry played an old Asian man. Because of this astounding use of makeup, prosthetics, and costumes, the hair and makeup director and the costume director were given fifth and sixth billing respectively.

There were a few bones I had to pick with the movie, and only a few. They glorified suicide in one scene which I feel should not have been done. There was also a sex scene that while it was integral to the story and I accept it being there, was much more graphic than it needed to be.

But all in all, the good outweighed the bad. Many truths were displayed in the film and it was one of the best films I have seen in a long while.