There were few films that caused quite as much of a stir as "Cloud Atlas" did at TIFF this year. The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer's sprawling and ambitious adaptation of David Mitchell's novel earned enthusiastic applause at its premiere screening, but critics were more divided, with some positively swooning for the movie, and others….less so. Our own review from Toronto was less than impressed with the film's rather simplistic, new age-y, fortune cookie wisdom and multiple narratives that became repetitive and dull. But hey, to each their own, and everyone will get to find out for themselves soon enough.
A new one sheet for the film has dropped, highlighting the main cast — Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Bae Doona, Hugh Grant, Ben Whishaw and Jim Broadbent — who each play multiple characters, across time, yet who are also interconnected. While the movie doesn't work, the actors are solid, and Doona in particular will be one that many will remember with her surprisingly touching performance. But the big question is — will mainstream audiences go for this? Running nearly 3 hours long with a story that isn't easily contained in a TV spot or trailer, it will be interesting to see how it lands.
"Cloud Atlas" opens on October 26th.