Six Degrees Of Innovation

Cloud Atlas

Dir: Andy & Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer

Stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, Jim Sturgess

Cloud Atlas is such a unique movie experience, it is likely to be difficult to describe concisely. Helmed by three directors who equally share directing credit, this genre-spanning epic features half a dozen loosely connected storylines set across five different centuries; and stars an ensemble cast of talented actors who portray a variety of characters unrestricted by race and gender. The project’s grand scope and talented cast are the product of an independently sourced $100 million budget – and by the end of its 170 minute runtime you feel as though you've experienced something overwhelmingly entertaining.

The movie’s six timelines each present narratives of varying genres, that all involve interconnected themes relating to the struggle of an individual against oppression. During the Gold Rush, an American working within the slave trade has his convictions challenged after witnessing acts of cruelty. In 1930s Cambridge, a young musician works to compose his masterpiece whilst corresponding with a distant lover. An LA journalist in the seventies must fight for her life whilst she attempts to uncover a conspiracy surrounding a corrupt nuclear energy corporation. A publisher in contemporary London receives a sudden windfall, only to then have to fight for his freedom after being falsely incarcerated. A clone in 22nd century Neo-Seoul attempts to spark a revolution after making a horrifying discovery. And a tribesman in a primitive, post-apocalyptic society struggles to defend his family from different invading forces.

The six stories develop simultaneously and follow similar narrative movements, despite cross-cutting between diverse genres and settings. The movie therefore has an incredibly unique vibrancy given its long running time, and even if particular scenes don’t fully engage the audience, something completely different may follow. Although the tone of consecutive scenes can differ between Blade Runner, Chinatown and Chicken Run; the exceptional editorial work, and thematically engaging script, help keep the audience entertained and invested despite the ever-changing characters and plots. The greatest success of Cloud Atlas perhaps lies in the ensemble cast, who offer flexible and dynamic performances - each able to cross several storylines to portray characters of different races and genders thanks to the work of an incredible prosthetics and make-up department.

Although likely to divide opinion due to its immense ambitions, Cloud Atlas is an undeniably groundbreaking movie experience that challenges the orthodoxy of cinematic narrative. In a year in which monotonous films of a similar runtime could dominate the Oscars, whilst dull action blockbusters are released by the bucketful – Cloud Atlas may be the first step in a bold new direction for ambitious storytelling and filmmaking.

9 / 10

Dial S For Sugarcoating

Hitchcock

Dir: Sacha Gervasi

Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson

Anthony Hopkins’ impressive impersonation of the legendary director in Hitchcock follows on six weeks after Toby Jones’ portrayal of Alfred Hitchcock in the BBC TV Movie, The Girl. Yet where The Girl was a haunting exploration of the auteur’s sexual aggression towards Tippi Hedren for a post-Saville audience; Hitchcock instead seeks to smooth over the rougher edges of history and character, in order to present a kinder and more uplifting drama, which ultimately leaves a rather unsatisfactory aftertaste.

Sacha Gervasi’s movie focuses on the period of Hitchcock’s career between the premieres of North By Northwest and Psycho. We follow the daring decisions made by a director who rejected offers from major studios at the apex of his career, in order to direct an independent and seemingly distasteful horror film based on the crimes of Ed Gein. Hitchcock’s self-doubt, marital paranoia and lecherous advances towards his leading lady mar the movie’s production; whilst stumbling blocks put in place by censors and distributors seem to doom the movie’s release. Although cinematic history dictates that Hitch will undoubtedly craft a masterpiece, Hitchcock’s jubilant ending is somewhat confusing if one cannot overlook the eponymous director’s obsessive voyeurism and clear misogyny.

As a huge admirer of the auteur’s filmography, of which I think Psycho is the magnum opus, I had hoped that this Hitchcock biopic would give a detailed insight into not only the difficulties of making such a groundbreaking film; but would also explore the character of a man who was himself a Freudian mess, and whose cruelty to his leading ladies is well-documented. Instead, the plot of Gervasi’s movie seemed to be more of an exercise in historical box ticking (despite several inaccuracies) and as a result the movie-making element of the screenplay is rather formulaic. The depiction of Hitchcock’s mental state allows for hallucinations of Ed Gein – which makes for an interesting portrayal of how a horror director must empathise with the grotesque. Yet at the same time, Hitchcock’s personal sexual depravity seems to be treated as an unfortunate quirk that we are meant to forgive by the end credits. If it wasn’t for the dignified, powerhouse presence of Helen Mirren, the film almost ventures into the territory of casual fifties sexism that it seeks to rebuke. Moreover, any attempt at redemption for the lead character is ultimately soured by the fact that Hitchcock is set just before the making of The Birds which, as aforementioned, was the production during which the director subjected Tippi Hedren to physical and mental degradation - before abruptly ending her career - because she refused his sexual advances.

Before watching Hitchcock, I got the feeling that as an enthusiast of the director’s work I may end up belonging to a minority who would enjoy watching a movie based around the production of Psycho. However, I now feel that the opposite may be true. Gervasi’s movie is a fairly successful light-hearted drama that largely ignores the severity of its main character’s misgivings. Whilst the acting performances are precise, the screenplay may leave aficionados wanting something more.

6 / 10