movies

[pioneer98]

I saw Cloud Atlas last night. My thoughts are below. I don't really spoil any plot points, but I do talk a little about a key symbol a bit. If you want to go into the movie with a totally clear mind to get your own interpretation of all the symbolism, then don't read below. Otherwise, what I say below could possibly nudge you towards an interpretation.

[SHOW]

I'm reading some reviews of this movie this morning. It is getting "mixed" reviews. None of the critics seem to fully understand this movie, even the critics who really liked it! Check out Ebert's review. He's mystified, but still gave it 4 stars.

I'm about 80% of the way through the book. I'm struggling to piece together all the details in the book, too, but reading it did help me follow the movie. The people I was with were able to follow the movie without having read any of the book. It is very easy to follow the plot of the 6 stories. But connecting the symbolism and intertwined characters is much harder.

This is the spoilerest part of what I was going to say: There is a comet-shaped birthmark that mark appears on different characters through the 6 stories. There are a bunch of themes, but this symbol is the key to understanding one of the main themes, IMO. Sadly, the critics I've read clearly don’t understand this symbol. It would be like trying to review the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, and having no clue what the monolith represented. I really don't want to say much more about it than that. If you understand this symbol, obviously you get more out of the movie. If you don't understand this symbol, the movie is still entertaining, interesting, and funny, but it might seem a bit hokey.

The movie is still hokey in a couple spots. Especially the last story set in the far distant future. They maybe tried following the book too closely on that one (especially regarding dialog). The rest of the stories are done pretty well. The best ones in my opinion are the one set in 1930s Europe and the one set in Korea in 2144. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Hugh Grant were better in some roles than in others. Hugo Weaving was himself. I thought Jim Broadbent, Doona Bae and Jim Sturgess were excellent. In general, the beginning was weaker, but it got better as it went. Maybe it was just getting used to flashing between 6 stories back and forth. The movie has some flaws, but I really liked it.

[Vidor]

I saw "Cloud Atlas". Wasn't sure what to make of the evil spirit that kept whispering into Tom Hanks's ear in the last timeline.

[pioneer98]

I saw "Cloud Atlas". Wasn't sure what to make of the evil spirit that kept whispering into Tom Hanks's ear in the last timeline.

My take on it (contains spoilers):

[SHOW]

Yeah, I’m not sure if it is a spirit, his imagination, or a “possession”. If you look at all the characters that Tom Hanks played, they were murderers, thieves, etc…the exception might have been the 1970s story when he was a scientist. But even in that story, it wasn’t clear to me what his role was within that company, or what his motives were. That last story to me was the final confrontation between evil and good within his soul.

This is all a lot more complicated in the book. Obviously, in the book, the characters are not played by actors to tie them all together nicely like I just did. In the book, the characters are only tied together by common themes. It makes it a lot more open to interpretation. The movie is just one interpretation.

[Vidor]

And speaking of "Cloud Atlas", apparently it made $9.4M over the weekend. Cost $100M to make. Ouch. Oh well, I liked it.

[pioneer98]

It says a lot about the state of the film industry when Cloud Atlas can barely outperform Paranormal Activity 4, Silent Hill 2 and Taken 2.

[thrill]

It says a lot about the state of the film industry when Cloud Atlas can barely outperform Paranormal Activity 4, Silent Hill 2 and Taken 2.

Is it a referendum on the film industry or an example of how impossibly vague trailers and incredibly complicated source material lead to an apathetic viewing public?

[Popeye_Card]

It says a lot about the state of the film industry when Cloud Atlas can barely outperform Paranormal Activity 4, Silent Hill 2 and Taken 2.

Is it a referendum on the film industry or an example of how impossibly vague trailers and incredibly complicated source material lead to an apathetic viewing public?

Yeah, I see the trailers and I have no idea what Cloud Atlas is about. It just looks...weird.

The other movies have pretty clear plots, and those that like that type of plot are ready and willing to go to the theater to see those movies.

[JL21]

It says a lot about the state of the film industry when Cloud Atlas can barely outperform Paranormal Activity 4, Silent Hill 2 and Taken 2.

Is it a referendum on the film industry or an example of how impossibly vague trailers and incredibly complicated source material lead to an apathetic viewing public?

And it's also a statement about the power of sequels and unoriginal content. Those other films have a brand name that's already established, which is going to resonate with moviegoers. I'm not saying it's right or that people have to like it, but that's just the way it works.

[Vidor]

I think both are true--the state of the film industry is horrible, but "Cloud Atlas" was a tough sell.

[ghostrunner]

It says a lot about the state of the film industry when Cloud Atlas can barely outperform Paranormal Activity 4, Silent Hill 2 and Taken 2.

Is it a referendum on the film industry or an example of how impossibly vague trailers and incredibly complicated source material lead to an apathetic viewing public?

And it's also a statement about the power of sequels and unoriginal content. Those other films have a brand name that's already established, which is going to resonate with moviegoers. I'm not saying it's right or that people have to like it, but that's just the way it works.

Yeah. How many movies does the average person see a year? 5 or 6? Those people aren't going to choose Cloud Atlas. I'd say my tastes are more obscure than most, but I'm a parent of two and I've seen exactly one movie in a theater this year - Dark Knight Rises just the other day. If I see one more, it will probably be Skyfall, with my wife. I'm one of those people now. The risky stuff is reserved for Netflix.