Film Review: Cloud Atlas

(Published on Lost In The Multiplex)

Based on the 2004 book written by David Mitchell, and written and directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, Cloud Atlas intertwines six subtly interconnected stories, spanning from the 19th century to a post-apocalyptic future.

The film follows lawyer Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess) who is travelling on a 19th century merchant ship, 20th century music composer Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) who’s trying to compose his own masterpiece, journalist Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) who’s trying to uncover a story in the 1970’s, present day Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent) who’s being held against his will in a nursing home, genetically engineered fabricant Sonmi-451 (Doona Bae) who’s being interviewed before her execution in a dystopian future, and Valley tribesmen Zachry (Tom Hanks), who’s living in a distant, post-apocalyptic society 106 winters after The Fall.

Rating:

New ‘Cloud Atlas’ Character Profiles Span The Ages

(Written for Lost In The Multiplex)

As well as the release of the first trailer for writer/directors Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski, and Tom Tykwer’s upcoming adaptation of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas this month, the film’s official website have now released a number of images of the film’s cast, showing that some of the film’s actors take on multiple roles and characters across the centuries that the film spans.

The incredible cast for this film includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, James D’Arcy, Xun Zhou, Keith David, David Gyasi, Susan Sarandon, and Hugh Grant, most of whom can be seen in the new images which include Grant as a futuristic tribesman, Hanks as a gangster, and Berry as a white woman. What a combination, right?

The New Year Brings New Series

Not only does 2011 look set for great films, but January also brings many new series to some of our favourite TV programs, and some brand new ones altogether.

The American teen series, 90210, started its third series at the beginning of the month on E4. I’d missed the end of Series 2, but it seems that all that happened is a swap of girlfriends and boyfriends. The episode kicked off with an earthquake at Beverly Hills, “signifying both emotional and physical trauma everyone is going through.” What to expect from the series? Naomi’s breakdown, Liam and Annie getting together, Teddy’s darker side, and the endless conflicts between couples that we’ve seen many times before. Nothing new here; a bunch of rich, gorgeous ‘teenagers’ with their clichéd problems, yet I still enjoy to watch it.