Life is often an intersection between art & the market in this story & in real life. If the filmmakers had more of a heart towards poetry than ambition perhaps it would have eschewed casting Hanks and Berry, who are not quite up to the task of transforming as Cloud Atlas progresses, and gone for lesser known actors or actors that were capable of disappearing such as Hugo Weaving or gasp, Hugh Grant [stat, someone get Hugh Grant more roles where we can’t recognize him]. The Wachowski sections, particularly the ones set in the future, are stronger than the Tykwer ones both aesthetically and as a stand alone story, but it is not supposed to be a stand alone story. The parts are supposed to make a whole tapestry-how one person can influence others through their words and creation. If one examines each story separately, one soon sees that there is nothing groundbreaking or unique in each of the stories, and each individual story is quite conventional or derivative. Despite the yearning against exploitation, fear and death and striving towards transcendence, love and life, the revolutionary emotion does not quite get transmitted to the audience. See a few minutes of Run Lola Run for love and The Matrix for freedom, and you’ll know that is possible. The Wachowskis strong suit was never portraying love, but action. Hanks is at his best as Zachry, and that story does the best at portraying genuine emotion. There are plenty of lesser known actors such as Doona Bae, Jim Sturgess and James D’Arcy that do their part to help propel the story, but they are just as weak in transforming through the ages, genders and ethnicity. I don’t think that the filmmakers should have felt enslaved by prosthetics and makeup and forced each actor to play several roles. If it works, great, but when it doesn’t, it is cringeworthy and adds reflection on the wrong things when the audience would be better served following the story. I think their heart was in the right place and do not classify it in the same category as blackface movies, but once the gimmick reminds you of it, you’ve already failed. Possible spoilers:
My favorite stories-both narrative and visually (hi, Blade Runner…we still love you)- were Sonmi-451 and Zachry. The composer’s story could have worked better with a different actor and perhaps a more period aesthetic. I’ve seen Ben Winshaw in this film and Skyfall, and I’m afraid that I’ve discovered another casting call favorite, one note actor. The 70s story is a bit eyeroll worthy and felt abrupt. The abolitionist story seemed like an afterthought. Even though Cavendish’s story was purposely ridiculous, it was a joy to watch because Broadbent and everyone in Cloud Atlas was pitch perfect.