“Cloud Atlas” attempts to illustrate how events and decisions made by the people in one period can reverberate across time to touch the lives of others and for Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry, it was a unique filmmaking experience. “I don’t think I’ll ever be part of another film like this,” says the actress, who plays several different characters. “I love its originality. There are so many exciting concepts and, hopefully, it will leave people thinking about how they perceive the world and their own lives.”
Halle Berry
Based on the best-selling novel by British author David Mitchell, it’s an ambitious three-hour movie that spans five centuries.
Halle Berry as Luisa Rey. Photo by Reiner Bajo
Interweaving several story-lines and time frames, Tom Hanks and Halle Berry play six characters apiece, including two who meet in the 1970s (where he’s a scientist, she’s a reporter) and again in the 2300s. There is a common thread of deja vu among its characters, suggesting reincarnation, or, as the filmmakers suggest, “that everything is connected.”
Halle Berry as Louisa Rey and Keith David as Napier. Photo by Reiner Bajo
“One of the characters I portray is a German Jewish woman, and one is a woman from the 24th century,” Berry recounts. “As an actor, that’s a thrilling prospect and a huge challenge.”
Halle Berry as Meronym and Tom Hanks as Zachry. Photo by Jay Maidment
With a cast that also includes Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, James D’Arcy, Keith David, Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant, the focus shifts from one actor to another as the story moves forward beginning in 1849…and in 1936…1973…2012…2144…and 2346. “I start out as a native woman who has little power.” says Berry. “Then there’s Luisa Rey, who’s struggling hard to find her voice and her strength. In the next life I portray a doctor, Ovid, working on the right side of the moral balance.”
Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. Photo by Jay Maidment
Filmmakers Tom Tykwer (“The International”) and Andy and Lana Wachowski (“The Matrix”) have constructed a bold and challenging film that leaves itself open for interpretation, offering multiple storylines as the picture moves from one saga to the next. “Cloud Atlas” is not an easy film to neither dissect nor follow. Somewhat thought provoking and lengthy, it’s a visually pleasing movie that explores questions about life and purpose, but ultimately fails to engage.
Samantha Ofole-Prince is a journalist and movie critic who covers industry-specific news that includes television and film. She serves as the Entertainment Editor for Trendy Africa.
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