"Cloud Atlas" Movie Review

When it comes to timeline plot, the first thing that pops up to my mind is the movie "The Hours" starring three of the most respective actresses in Hollywood today, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman. If you have watched the "The Hours" movie, Nicole Kidman played the author Virginia Woolfe, Julianne Moore played a woman who wants to be free in the 1960's who is reading Virginia Woolfe's novels, while Meryl Streep played a lady in her prime years who is living in the present world. The twist in the story tells us that Julianne Moore happens to be Meryl Streep's mother (or some relative but I'm sure it was her mother!). So, I think you got the connection.



On the other hand, "Cloud Atlas" movie has a similar plot. The rendition of having a timeline in the story is what the author, David Mitchell might exactly had in mind when he was still writing his best-selling novel. When writing a novel or story, timelines are always the hardest thing to do. You have to be accurate with information regarding what's happening in a particular timeline. Even the dresses, gestures, and people must be well noted and cannot just take for granted. David Mitchell has successfully done that part with flying colors.

In "Cloud Atlas", David Mitchell used different elements or media that transcend through time such as journals which is turned into a book, love letters which have survived through time, scientific reports which has turned into a mystery novel, a movie which was inspired by a revolution, and an orison that inspired a belief. It is important how these elements are used in the novel to make a connection to one another. In the movie version of "Cloud Atlas", the directors have visualized them very clearly how these 'elements' would affect the main protagonist in each timeline.

It was not clear why there are six timelines in the novel until you reached some certain chapters in the story. However, in the movie, the writer and the directors had clearly made the six timelines as if they were happening all at the same time. The timelines are clearly seen in the movie in a nonlinear editing. Though it is expected that this kind of editing is quite mind-boggling but you can still understand the plot or what the directors are trying to say if you just focus on the film right from the start.

"Cloud Atlas" the movie has succeeded my expectations on how a movie with timeline plot must be presented in a way that the moviegoers would understand what's happening in a scene or two. The directors presented it by using visuals such as clothes, pieces of furniture, and set among others.

Overall, I really enjoyed watching the movie "Cloud Atlas". If you are into movie watching this weekend, "Cloud Atlas" is a perfect movie date for you at home. Below is the official movie trailer of "Cloud Atlas". Enjoy watching!



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