Cloud Atlas (Blu-ray) (2012)

This review is sponsored by

BUY IT

General		Extras
Category	Adventure	Featurette-Making Of- 7 Focus Points (54:46)
Rating
Year Of Production	2012
Running Time	171:57
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Ads Then Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Tom Tykwer Andy Wachowski Lana Wachowski
Studio Distributor	Warner Home Video	Starring	Tom Hanks Halle Berry Jim Broadbent Hugo Weaving Jim Sturgess Doona Bae
Case	Standard Blu-ray
RPI	?	Music	Reinhold Heil Johnny Klimek Tom Tykwer

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 English Descriptive Audio Dolby Digital 5.1 French Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.40:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	1080p
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English English for the Hearing Impaired French Spanish	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

”Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we are bound to others, past and present. And by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.”

     Cloud Atlas is based upon the “unfilmable” novel of the same name by David Mitchell and was written for the screen and co-directed by Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run). The film interweaves six stories covering centuries and features a host of name actors in multiple roles across the six stories. Thematically, each story is linked to a preceding story by some form of communication, be it journals, letters or a video, and there are common themes such as love, loss, freedom and bondage, and the consequences of actions, past, future and present.

     The film’s narrative is almost impossible to summarise. For what it is worth, the different stories are; in a voyage to the Pacific Islands in 1849 Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) comes face to face with the consequences of slavery; in 1936 England, Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw), a young gay Cambridge graduate and composer, is hired to assist an older composer finalise his major work; in 1973 San Francisco investigative reporter Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) is on the trail of a major corporate scandal that threatens her life; in 2012 England publisher Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent) is having troubles with his clients and his family and is trying to escape from a nursing home; in Korea in 2144 Sonmi-451 (Doona Bae) is a clone bred to serve in a fast food restaurant who may be capable of much, much more; in 2321 Zachry (Tom Hanks) is a member of a primitive clan living on a Pacific island in a post-apocalyptic world who is visited by a member of a more advanced race because something on the island may hold the key to the survival of humanity.

     Other actors in multiple roles include Hugo Weaving, James D’Arcy, Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant, who seems to have a great time as a cannibal chief. The strands of the film are drawn together in the end, sort of, but in reality this is not a film to attempt to follow the narrative and nuances closely, especially the first time; Cloud Atlas is an audacious film that is so complex and multi-layered it is best just to let the spectacle (and it is an epic film), the interconnections, the dialogue and the ideas flow around you. It is one of those films that are best simply experienced.

     Cloud Atlas has divided critics right down the centre. The film could easily have been a disaster as there were two independent directing teams: the Wachowski’s directed the 1849, 2144 and 2321 stories while Tykwer directed 1936, 1973 and 2112. The book had a relatively simpler structure; it progressed through the six stories in chronological order, then reversed back through them in a 1-2-3-4-5-6-5-4-3-2-1 set up. The film, on the other hand, rapidly and regularly intercuts between the six stories, juxtaposing common themes and images; for example, in 1849 escaped slave Autua (David Gyasi) runs across a schooner’s spars, while in 2144 Seoul escaped clone Sonmi-451 is on an air-bridge. Some critics have found this rapid intercutting difficult to follow but I was never confused; the film works because the localities are different and the tone of the stories varies from broad comedy (2012), to futuristic sci-fi thriller / action (2144), to crime mystery (1973). As well the prosthetics and make up means that each manifestation of the same actor is clearly distinguishable.

     Without a doubt, Cloud Atlas will not appeal to those who like their narrative and plot linear and straightforward. As if six stories were not sufficiently complex, even within the six there are chronological shifts and flashbacks, and narration from one story frequently overlaps into another. But for those who enjoy innovative and exhilarating filmmaking, Cloud Atlas is inventive, enthralling and draws you into its worlds. The film is almost 3 hours long, but does not waste a moment and is never flat or boring.

     Did I understand Cloud Atlas? No, I don’t think so. Was I enthralled, mesmerised, entertained, and drawn into its worlds? Absolutely! For me Cloud Atlas is a brilliant, spellbinding experience, one of the must see films of the year.

Video

     Cloud Atlas is presented in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1, close to the 2.35:1 original ratio, in 1080p using the MPEG-4 AVC code.

     Filmed using Arri digital cameras, this is a print that frequently looks stunning. Close-up detail is immaculate (so much so that some of the dodgy prosthetics are very obvious), with every hair and blemish crisp and sharp. Landscapes of hills and forests are beautiful, the schooner under full sail silhouetted against the sun and sky stunning. Colours were excellent and natural, except for that occasional digital yellowish tingue in darker scenes with a light source. Blacks were rock solid, shadow detail exceptional. Contrast and brightness were consistent, skin tones good.

     Occasionally in dark scenes slight digital noise reduction was evident, there was minor ghosting but marks and artefacts are absent.

     Clear white subtitles are available in English for the hearing impaired, French and Spanish.

     The print was wonderful.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The feature audio is English DTS-MA HD 5.1, plus English audio description by a male voice, French and Spanish, all Dolby Digital 5.1 at 640 Kbps.

     The dialogue throughout the film was mostly clear if not always understandable, especially in the 2321 story where the actors speak a kind of modified pidgin English, so the subtitles came in handy (although the quick intercutting between stories did not help if you needed to turn the subtitles off during other stories). The sound design was subtle. This is a film with a lot of dialogue but there was always something in the surrounds and rears to fill out the sound stage, such as the creaks and groans of the rigging of the ship at sea, the hum of machines or the score. During the action scenes the surrounds came to life with hooves, engines, gunshots and explosions. The subwoofer added appropriate bass to support the music, explosions and engines, without calling attention to itself.

     The beautiful epic music score by Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer was an integral part of the film, nicely underscoring the moods.

     Lip synchronisation was fine.

     The audio track is very special, the music and sound design wonderfully integrated to enhance the film experience.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     On start-up there are trailers for Jack the Giantslayer (2:28) and Blu-ray 3D (1:48). They must be skipped and cannot be selected from the menu.

Focus Points (54:46)

     This consists of number of short EPK type featurettes. They are interesting enough and each contains behind the scenes footage plus interviews with directors / screenwriters Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski and Ton Tykwer, as well as writer David Mitchell, who sit together and chat about the film. At other times various members of the principal cast add their thoughts and comments. The various focus points, which do have a ‘select all’ option are:

    A Film Like No Other (7:15): Developing the project, and the logistical and other challenges of working with two separate film crews.

    Everything Is Connected (8:00): The meanings and themes within the film, how the storylines interlock and impact upon each other.

    The Impossible Adaptation (9:07): The challenges of adapting this “unfilmable” novel.

    The Essence of Acting (7:20): The actors’ thoughts on playing numerous characters, such as how to make each character different while recalling some of the elements and traits of the others .

    Spaceships, Slaves & Sextets (8:08): On fractured plotlines, time jumping and the music at the core of the film.

    The Bold: Science Fiction of Cloud Atlas (7:14): The futuristic aspects of the film, including the development of language and cultures.

    Eternal Recurrences: Love, Life and Longing in Cloud Atlas (7:39): Final thoughts about the themes of the film; fate and romance throughout the ages.

     Cloud Atlas comes with a DVD copy and an Ultraviolet redemption code.

    The releases of Cloud Atlas in various regions are identical; we get the US FBI anti-piracy warning.

     Films with the complexity and audacity of Cloud Atlas are all too infrequent. While watching the film I was reminded of The English Patient, because that was another film which had an emotional impact upon me when viewing and I think if you enjoyed that film you will appreciate Cloud Atlas. While Cloud Atlas has divided critics, for me it is a brilliant, spellbinding experience, one of the must see films of the year.

     The video and audio are wonderful. The extras are somewhat lightweight for a film of such ideas, but there is nothing more in any other region.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall