Ten years ago, many critics went bananas over 21 Grams, Alejandro González Iñárritu's followup to Amores Perros. Iñárritu has carved himself out as a director who relies heavily on slick editing and overlaying ensemble story-lines told at different points in time. (A Robert Altman/Quentin Tarantino influence perhaps?) I had trouble with it, because without a knife, there wasn't anything particularly profound about the actual linear story lines. With Atlas, some may say: well, THAT'S the point. It's that we are linked by varying degrees in astounding ways on infinite time continuum's. Be it as it may, this type of storytelling is more often than not distracting, just like Baz Luhrman's insane need to leave an image before he even gets to it can be. So goes Atlas sometimes, where we get six different stories boiled down and combined together for the big screen to say something monumental about the human experience and how we are all connected to each other, as well as the past and future. There's a small, touching twist at the end. The surprise is just enough and welcoming, rather than the epic reaching for some all-encompassing way to tie everything together in some unrealistically faux-remarkable way. The tales are lightly joined, rather than chained together, which is nice. This is understandable, as the whole point of the interconnectedness doesn't need to be hammered into our brains anymore than it has. Don't get me wrong: I want to love on this movie. There is nothing more that I crave than getting lost in the romance of an emotional opus. Cloud Atlas is ambitious and worth relenting to, if only for a few (almost three) hours. It's easier to just set aside its frustrating imperfections and give in to its pull without succumbing to picking it apart.
Movie Spoiler Summary
***color coded by story for your viewing pleasure***
Cloud Atlas begins with an older version of Zachry (Tom Hanks), from the Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' section of the novel, telling stories by campfire at night. We'll soon flashback to when he first meets his future wife Meronym, a woman from another planet. Ev'rythin' proper takes place somewhere in the future, where humanity has regressed to a Game of Thrones-style of living, but they're visited by the last members of a technologically advanced being from another universe who have come to the planet out of desperation. Each race of characters has their own affected language, that is sometimes hard to follow by word and easier to tap into the emotions. Hanks mostly drives this story, with Halle Berry who also has substantial, if not unimpressive role, and Hugo Weaving.
What commences is an introductory montage for several minutes of six interweaving stories taking place at different points in time and geography.
Pre-Credit Introduction Montage
The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing is set in 1849 Pacific Islands, which will detail the story of white man Ewing (Jim Sturgess) who bonds with black slave Autua (David Gyasi) board ship and the former's journey to becoming an abolitionist along with his wife Tilda (Donna Bae in white-face). There is an excavation going on with Ewing in attendance and Dr. Henry Goose (Hanks) shares his discovery. Sturgess drives this story with support from Gyasi and Hanks. Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery is set in San Francisco 1973, which will account reporter Rey's (Berry) investigation into a power plant mystery thanks to a chance meeting with an older version of Rufus Sixsmith (James D'Arcy), a respected nuclear physicist turned whistle blower. We first see Rey driving while passing through a security gate. Berry drives this story with support from Broy Nicholas Lee, Keith Napier, and Hugh Grant. The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish is set in 2012 London and concerns the title author (Jim Broadbent), a cantankerous old man who gets duped by his brother Denholme (Grant) and stages a breakout from a retirement community. We first meet him at work on the typewriter as he readies to account his "ghastly ordeal," Broadbent narrating. A filmed version is later seen by characters in another story. He drives this story, with main support from Grant. Letters from Zedelghem is set in 1936 and involves a young Cambridge musician Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) who leaves his lover Rufus Sixsmith (D'Arcy) to forge his ambitious plan to join forces with composer Vyvyan Ayrs (Broadbent) in Zedelghem, Belgium, to write the greatest piece of music ever. Berry plays Ayrs' wife Jocasta in white-face. When we first meet him it's at the very end of his life when, faced with public humiliation, he climbs into a bathtub, shoves a luger into his mouth, and proceeds to kill himself; Sixsmith reads his letters in retrospect with Whishaw providing the narration. Whishaw drives this story with support from Broadbent and D'Arcy. An Orison of Sonmi~451 is set in 2144 in Neo Seoul, a Korean metropolis that rose above Old Seoul, Korea, due to great flooding caused by global warming. It's about fabricant Sonmi~451 (Bae) who disobeys authority and captures the interest of insurgent Hae-Joo Chang (Sturgess in Asian-face) sparking a revolution that ultimately fails in the short-term. Their story begins during Sonmi~451's final interview. Her beliefs are later echoed in Ev-rythin'. Bae and Sturgess both drive this story.
Post-Credit Introduction Montage
In Journal, Ewing makes a deal with Reverend Gilles Horrox (Grant), mentioning Haskell Moore (Weaving). Later, Ewing, Goose, Horrox and his wife (Susan Sarandon) dine, while Kupaka (David) attends their needs, and they discuss slavery. The next day, Ewing faints when he watches Autua getting savagely whipped. Goose tends to him in bed. In Letters, Robert lies with Rufus when there is a knock at the door from the hotel management. Robert escapes out of a window and travels to Zedelghem to work as an amanuensis for for Ayrs. The composer isn't too keen on Robert at first ("you must have misheard me; I said a melody, not a malady") until he reveals his talent. In Mystery, Rey leaves a drunken man she was supposed to interview behind at a party and boards an elevator with Sixsmith, who has stopped the door from closing. She comments, "It's nice to know the age of chivalry isn't dead." The power goes out and they get stuck. Sixsmith responds, "Still glad the age of chivalry isn't dead?" They exchange stories and he makes note of her comet birthmark near the left side of her clavicle, which he has seen before. He gets ready to share something very important with her, but then the power comes back on. In Ordeal, testy Irishman Dermot Hoggins (Hanks) runs into his publisher Cavendish at a party. Berry is also their as an Indian party guest. Hoggins produces a negative review of his latest book by Felix Finch (Alistair Petri) and is angry that his latest tome Knuckle Sandwich hasn't caught on yet with the public. He commands everyone's attendance by banging two platters together, and denounces the critic. Finch shames him, "A signed copy of an unpulped Knuckle Sandwich? Can't be many of those left. Well, just what does that leadless pencil you call an imagination have in mind to end this scene, hmmn? Hoggins throws him to his death from the top of the building. Knuckle Sandwich becomes a huge hit thanks to the publicity and Hoggins goes to jail. Cavendish enjoys the success, but Hoggins' guys quickly break down his door looking for money soon after. In Orison, Sonmi~451 describes her life as a fabricant and we see scenes from her work and "personal" life, which revolves around the mantra "honor thy consumer." She recounts a love-making incident between a female fabricant and her boss Seer Rhee (Grant), which is brought to her attention by Yoona-939 (Zhou Xun). Yoona-939 shows her a scene from The Ghastly Ordeal (Cavendish played by Hanks) on a small electrical device called a keno (?). What follows is an incident at a restaurant where a consumer defiles Yoona-939. She strikes back and leaves, but she's stopped and later destroyed. In Ev'rythin', Zachry's friends are killed out in a forest by a tribe of ruthless men wearing skeletal facial paint. He hides, as he's visited by an evil green figment of his imagination Old Georgie (Hugo Weaving). Rumors abound about Zachry. On the beach with a young girl, he watches a hovercraft glide along the ocean towards him. He returns home to a destroyed village. Meronym (Berry) greets him. Abbess (Sarandon) and others ask him questions. Old G appears to Zachry to warn him about the visitor, but he spies on Meronym placing a silver instrument against the wounds on her arm. There's a quick montage of various parts of the six stories and we next see Zachry waking up. He shares a visit with Abbess.
From here, the scenes get exceptional shorter, mixing the six stories together in various manners ...
Discovery Montage
Sonmi~451 observes Seer Rhee's body and Hae-Joo Chang finds her. Adam writes a letter about being quarantined for being ill. Robert writes about working with Ayrs and finding Adam's journal. Older Sixsmith reads his letter while he watches his former boss from Schwaneke Lloyd Hooks, operator of a nuclear reactor, on television and places a call to Rey. Cavendish calls various contacts for money to pay Hoggins. He visits his brother Denny, whose wife Georgette (Whishaw in drag) also happens to be around. Cavendish asks him for money as his one last ditch effort. On the ship, stowaway Autua surprises Adam and gives him a choice: help him escape slavery or kill him. Meronym communicates with her people about having difficulties finding a valley person to help her locate an old transway marker. Sixsmith gets off the phone with Rey, and assassin Bill Smoke (Weaving) shows up in his room to snuff him out and take his file. Rey shows up at his door to no answer. Sonmi~451 and Chang leave. Rey convinces an attendant to open Sixsmith's room only to discover his dead body and Robert's letters. Robert writes Sixsmith about presenting his work "Eternal Reoccurrence with Ayrs to Tadeusz Kesselring (Weaving). They dine with Jocasta. Robert and Ayrs debrief afterwards. Zachary walks with Meryonym through forest. He saves her from falling off a bridge. When warriors approach, they hide. Cavendish takes a trip where he reminisces about the last time he took the same train, long ago, when he was with the love of his life, Ursula. Zachry seeks counsel from Abbess. There's another montage involving multiple parts of the film, while Abbess narrates, "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.
A Whole New World/Revelation Montage
Chang escorts Sonmi~451 to Neo Seoul. Adam feeds the worldly Autua, who knows there is a better life for him. Rey's teenage neighbor Javier Gomez visits her while she reads Robert's letters. Robert makes love to Jacasta. Rey visits a record store attended by the owner (Whishaw) and listens to one of Robert's compositions, "Cloud Atlas." She comments that she has heard it before. Cavendish reminisces again about Ursula's parents walking in on them leading to Cavendish covering his crotch with the closest object (a cat), causing him to fall out a window and injure himself. "Official cause of accident listed on the hospital form: pussy." The present day, Cavendish goes back to the house and sees the older Ursula. Zachry visits an ailing girl. We watch Sonmi~451 have her collar removed, revealing a comet birthmark. Zachry runs to find Meronym for assistance. Cavendish registers at the Aurora House convalescent home, having been duped by his brother Denny in exchange to pay off Hoggins. Chang takes Sonmi~451 to a room where he shows her a view of the mostly underwater Old Seoul. Zachry injects girl with Meronym's silver instrument when no one is looking, and she shows up. Chang shows Sonmi~451 her accommodations. We got back to the interview. Meronym saves the girl. Sonmi~451 dresses up and watches a version of The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish. Cavendish wakes up to Nurse Noakes (Weaving) rifling through his personal items. Rey visits Hooks at Schwaneke headquarters, who introduces her to Joe Napier (Keith David), his security chief. Cavendish complains about Noakes, but he's shit-out-of-luck. Sonmi~451 and Chang continue to watch a filmed version of The Ghastly Ordeal. A groundsperson stops Cavendish from leaving. Sonmi~451's interview continues as she describes her accommodations set up by Chang. Zachry takes Meronym on her requested trek. Chang shows Sonmi~451 a technologically advanced form of communication.
Leap of Faith Montage
Adam shares Autua's identity with the ship's captain, hoping he can help him. Sonmi~451 receives a haircut. Rey notes an office door that once bore the name of Sixsmith. Cavendish sneaks a call to his brother, who reveals that he knows about his affair with Georgette. Denny is quite pleased with his revenge. "I do have my fingers crossed for scenario involving you, Nurse Noakes, and a broom handle. Cheerio, Timmy." Noakes finds Cavendish. The interview continues with scenes from Sonmi~451's new accommodations. Ayrs wakes Robert up, full of inspiration. Rey thumbs through files when one Isaac Sachs (Hanks) walks in on her. Sonmi~451 and Chang are discovered and they must escape by a high-tech foot bridge Chang employs crossing over to another building. The ship's captain requests Autua display his sailing skills. Adam learns that the captain plans to kill Autua. Sonmi~451 and Chang escape gunfire. The captain takes aim at Autua. Sonmi~451 and Chang fall from bridge. Autua proves himself. Isaac takes Rey to Hooks, but covers for her. They talk. Cavendish feels trapped. Boardman Mephi (Weaving in Asian-face) arrives in Sonmi~451's cell. She cries after being told Chang has died. Goose, after the key around his neck that will open a chest filled with gold coins, tends to the ailing Adam. Isaac and Rey talk and contemplates sharing information with her. "If I help you, I could lose my job, or worse. If I don't, a lot of people ... it would be worse than worse." Zachry and Meronym talk by campfire, while he's haunted by Old Georgie. Isaac takes a trip on a plane, while he philosophically narrates a montage including Orison. Rey finds that Isaac has left a report in her trunk. Assassin Bill Smoke follows Rey. Isaac's plane blows up, care of Smoke. Ayrs' listens while Robert plays what he wrote. Robert makes a pass at Ayrs who laughs at him. When Robert threatens to leave, Ayrs blackmails him and insinuates he'll ruin his reputation if he does.
Escape Montage #1
Sonmi~451 is marched down a hall. Chang, who didn't die, saves her. Cavendish clandestinely meets with three other residents, including Mr. Meeks (Robert Fyfe) in the basement to plot their escape. Sonmi~451 and Chang are stopped in a vehicle. Goose continues to tend to Adam, while plotting to steal the key around his neck. Cavendish creates a distraction in the dining hall, which sends everyone into commotion. Robert steals Ayrs' luger. Zachry and Meronym climb a mountain. The authorities investigate Chang's vehicle. Meronym almost falls to her death, and Old Georgie arrives while Zachry tries to save her. Chang saves the day again Matrix style. Zachry manages to pull Meronym to safety.
Chang and Sonmi~451 continue their escape. Ayrs takes the composition and Robert shoots him. Goose attempts to steal Adam's key. Chang and Sonmi~451 make it to a tunnel, where they escape by blowing it up and climbing through hatches in the ground. Rey's car is driven off a bridge. She crashes into the water and sinks, but manages to swim to the surface.
The Decision to Trust Montage
Zachry and Meronym visit the tomb of the dead and revere a feminine statue. She explains "this place joined here ov'there," connecting their two planets. Sonmi~451 and Chang walk through a market. Rey finds Javier, who helps her get into her apartment. Joe is there. When they find a special room, Meronym begins communicating with her people. Sonmi~451 and Chang continue to walk through the market of various fabricants. Meronym gives Zachry a history lesson. She shows him Sonmi~451 on a screen, as an example of the truth. Sonmi~451 repeats the words used earlier (yet in the past) from Abbess. Joe reveals himself to Rey. Old Georgie convinces Zachry to pull out a knife with the intent to stab Meronym. Joe warns Rey that there's a hit on her and even though Smoke killed Isaac, the PLO were blamed. In a basement, union leader General An-Kor Apis (David) greets Sonmi~451 and Chang. Joe shares that both him and Smoke are paid by Hughes & Pikes Consulting, an oil lobbying company. Rey figures out that "Hooks doesn't want the report discovered, because he doesn't want the reactor fixed. He wants it to fail." Zachry contemplates killing Meronym, but resists. Robert hides from the authorities, even though Ayrs didn't die or was even that injured. Regardless, he wants vengeance. Joe tells Rey they need to get the report and she needs to trust him. Apis tries to convince Sonmi~45 to join forces with the union. Meronym starts doing some cosmic shit and a satellite forms on top of the mountain above them, to help signal her people to her whereabouts. Sonmi~451 and Chang lie in bed and kiss. Robert watches the sun. "I understand now that boundaries between noise and sound are conventions. All boundaries are conventions waiting to be transcended. One may transcend any convention if only one can first conceive of doing so ... I know that separation is an illusion." The ship carrying Adam continues on its journey. Sixsmith shows up at a china shop where Robert drops an object on the ground. Sonmi~451 and Chang make love. Meronym sleeps as Zachry tends to the campfire. Sixsmith and Robert destroy an assortment of valuable items. He then wakes up on a train. Autua wakes Adam up. Robert returns to hotel, where the manager (Hanks) recognizes the fugitive and demands more money. Rey wonders to Javier, "Why we keep making the same mistakes over and over." Javier helps her figure out they need to find Sixsmith's niece, Megan.
Escape Montage #2
Cavendish prepares for the break. He calls Mr. Hotchkiss (Andrew Havill), one of the resident's children, as their parent is about to change the will. On the ship, Adam is still ailing. Cavendish hides in Meek's room and Noakes knocks on Cavendish's door. The Hotchkiss's arrive and Cavendish locks Noakes in his room, but Noakes has phone access. Joe calls Hooks and insinuates that Rey is a problem. Cavendish and the gang gather in the Hotchkiss vehicle, but they don't know how to start it. Rey walks across Van Ness up hill under Joe's supervision. Cavendish and the gang finally take off in the car, but must go back for Meeks. They then break through the front gate. When Smoke is about to hit her, Joe saves Rey by running into Smoke's car. A shootout commences while a busted hydrant sends out a cascade of water. On the ship, Goose tries to convince Autua to leave. Smoke steals another person's car and shoots them dead, before starting to chase after Rey and Joe. Cavendish and his clan gather at a local pub. Nurse Noakes arrives with her posse. A confrontation ensues driving Meeks to stand up on a table and begin screaming. Smoke continues to pursue Rey and Joe, who shoots his tires sending him into a crash. The duo escape into a sweat shop, and run into a scared Mexican attendant (Bae in Mexican-face) where Berry breaks out something really quickly that sounds like Spanish, but sounds pretty fucked up (come to think of it, I'm not sure Bae is speaking Spanish either). Whatever she says, the lady helps them hide. Meeks rouses the crowd against Noakes and a fight commences. Smoke shoots the Mexican attendant's dog and calls her a wetback. On the ship, Goose breaks out metal cutters. Smoke finds Rey and Joe, but they're saved by the Mexican attendant, who bludgeons him to death. She ends her revenge with the line, "And, don't call me a fucking wetback." On the ship, Goose steals Adam's key and puts the final touches on killing Adam slowly. Autua disturbs his plan and they fight. Adam ends up killing him by dropping the chest of gold coins on top of his head.
Death & Other Conclusions Montage
Chang takes Sonmi~451 to a room. Zachry runs. Robert writes. We witness how fabricants are placed into a chair, where people in red outfits remove their "cola" and put her into permanent retirement. Zachry arrives at a village. Many of his loved ones lie dead. He slices the throat of a sleeping warrior. Chang explains to Sonmi~451 how fabricants are recycled. "They feed us to ourselves," understanding him, she cries. In bed, she decides to join the revolution. Zachry finds one of the girls is alive. The warriors show up and chase them. Meronym's hovercraft heads toward land. Chang and the revolutionaries take their place for battle at a union-controlled satellite link. In the interview, Sonmi~451 explains that her endorsement united the union. We witness the ensuing blowout in flashback. The warriors gain on Zachry and the girl and he has flashbacks to the assault at the beginning of the film. Meronym arrives to save them, but she's stabbed. Zachry saves her for the third time with a bow and arrow. Autua saves Adam's life, nursing him back from death's door. He shows him that they've arrived at their destination. Rey finds Megan Sixsmith (Zhu Zhu) to give her all of her father's letters. She promises her that she'll avenge her father's death. We see Robert spying on younger Sixsmith on a tower. On the hovercraft, Meronym convinces her people to let her be with Zachry. Robert continues to write his final letter. The younger Sixsmith arrives at the hotel too late, as Robert commits suicide. He finds his body in the bath tub. In the interview, Sonmi~451 confirms Chang died during the final battle. If the revolution was doomed to fail, she's asked why she went ahead. "If I had remained invisible, the truth would stay hidden. I couldn't allow that." When asked, "And what if no one believes this truth?" "Someone already does," is her reply. Adam greets his love Tilda. He exchanges terse words with her father after burning Reverend Horrox' contract. Rey and Javier discuss the recent arrests made in the Schwaneke matter. Cavendish types and the older Ursula (Sarandon) comes to sit on his lap. Adam informs Haskell that he and Tilda are becoming abolitionists. Sonmi~451 is put into permanent retirement. During his confrontation with Adam, Haskell says, "No matter what you do, it will never amount to anything more than a single drop in a limitless ocean." Adam responds, "What is an ocean, but a multitude of drops." Older Zachry finishes telling stories to a bunch of children by the campfire. He sends the kids off to their grandmother, the older Meronym (Berry). He exchanges words with a young girl, before he and his wife go off to sleep in their deluxe accommodations and the camera shoots up to the night sky. Roll Credits.
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