October 26, 2012 in GENRES
CLOUD ATLAS
RYAN: This is one whopper of a movie! The cast is A-list and the length is three hours.
CAROLINE: Can we start there please? Did it really need to be that long?
RYAN: Yes and no. As with Avatar, I can’t really identify a scene I would have cut out, but at the same time, it was looong. And I felt it. My mind never wandered but I was certainly aware that it just kept going on and on.
CAROLINE: So how is this movie? Does it make any sense?
RYAN: It really does. It’s incredibly profound. It’s spiritual and exciting and interesting and really the kind of movie you have to see with friends so you can talk about it afterward. I feel like I need to see it again in order to catch even more.
CAROLINE: Is it ultra confusing?
RYAN: The first hour is. It’s ultimately telling just one story but jumping between times, spanning centuries, and using the same actors in different roles. It could be confusing if you don’t just look past a lot of that and go for the ride.
CAROLINE: I think I’d be completely lost.
RYAN: It really does have a clear beginning, middle and end. But there are many stories happening at once and it just keeps jumping back and forth between them. One of the most fun aspects for me was trying to figure out which actor portrayed each character. During the end credits you see everyone and I have to admit, there were some I didn’t knew throughout were Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant and others.
CAROLINE: That’s crazy. All good makeup?
RYAN: I’d give this movie the Oscar for Best Makeup right now. The creativity and seamlessness and detail is outstanding. It’s an obvious visual achievement. It’s not just the best makeup of the year, but the best makeup in any movie, ever!
CAROLINE: Whoa! That’s quite the proclamation.
RYAN: Credit where it’s due, honey.
CAROLINE: So, if you can at all, what’s this movie about? And why isn’t it as confusing as I’m assuming, based on the weird trailer?
RYAN: While we never believe in divulging the plot in our reviews and certainly don’t do spoilers, I have to set this one up, generally, a little bit. It spans 500 years, taking place in the past, present and future.
CAROLINE: That is a rather broad timeline to cover.
RYAN: The story is actually quite focused and it shows how certain actions can have ripple effects over time; and in this case, kinda like in that Emma Thompson/Kenneth Branagh movie Dead Again, there is some reincarnation going on.
CAROLINE: It’s an intense concept. It’s, like, maybe in a previous life I was your mother.
RYAN: Or my father. They jump sexes and races over time and it’s wild that way but really interesting. I don’t know how they would nominate a performance here, like, is it for one of the characters in the movie or for the fact that one actor pulled off many different characters in one film, you know?
CAROLINE: Totally. So how was the cast?
RYAN: Tom Hanks and Halle Berry are both fabulous. They play six roles each. The only weird thing is their scenes in the future – they use a random form of English, kinda like Nell.
CAROLINE: [laughs’ OMG “Tay in the wind” Nell?
RYAN: Yes! And while you can totally follow what’s happening with them and what they mean, it’s random.
CAROLINE: That might really annoy me.
RYAN: No you still totally get the gist of what’s going on. It just takes some getting used to.
CAROLINE: Well with three hours, there’s time for adjusting to it. How’s the rest of the cast?
RYAN: Hugh Grant is awesome. I’d say Supporting Actor worthy – Best American accent. The Jims Broadbent and Sturgess are terrif and Susan Sarandon is, this just in, excellent too.
CAROLINE: Yeah it’s a strong cast. I’m not surprised. But, still, three hours?
RYAN: I know and while it feels lengthy, it’s not inappropriate. But that’s another reason why to see it in the theater. It’ll keep you involved, whereas at home, you might pause it or something.
CAROLINE: So no consuming of liquids before this one.
RYAN: This is epic on the level of, like, Gone with the Wind, Titanic, Avatar, etc… And its themes are touching but not altogether emotionally gripping. That’s the only drawback. By the end of this epic, while I certainly hunger to dissect and discuss it, my heart wasn’t spinning around. Still, it’s big, exciting, spiritually inspiring, and unique. If you’re inclined to see it at all, it’s certainly one which benefits from viewing on the big screen.
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