Post by klep on Mar 21, 2016 6:40:26 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 3/21: Cloud Atlas
With the recent news of Lily Wachowski's forced outing, it's tempting to look back at the work of the Wachowski sisters in light of now knowing that both of them are trans. And indeed, many of their films deal with questions of identity. In Bound characters explore their sexuality. The The Matrix films imply a duality between our physical existence and how we see ourselves. Jupiter Ascending revolves around a young woman discovering that she is much more than she believed herself to be. And Sens8 involves a collective of 8 people who are increasingly more different aspects of a whole than separate individuals.
Cloud Atlas is another variation on the theme - casting the same actors in multiple roles throughout time to show the interconnectedness of things. It's thus easy to see what drew the Wachowskis to David Mitchell's novel, which proposes the same souls reincarnating throughout time. There's no boundary to how these souls may come back around - class, race, and gender are all meaningless.
It's also a profoundly optimistic and hopeful film. There are six storylines carefully edited to all crescendo and wrap up at around the same time. Each story in some way involves someone learning the value of life and of love for one's fellow man. That kindness begets kindness and treating others poorly comes back to bite you eventually. But there's a hidden seventh story. Most of the recurring actors have characters that are consistent from iteration to iteration. Sturgess is compassionate, Berry is resolute and principled, D'Arcy is curious and open, Broadbent is self-centered and conniving, and Weaving is a cruel agent of power.
But Tom Hanks' characters vary. In some iterations he's real scum, and in others he's a kinder soul. But if you pay attention, his characters become more and more good as time passes. In the earliest timeline he's slowly poisoning his patient to steal his gold. When next we see him he merely extorts Frobischer to not report him to the police. His next few incarnations have their ups and downs - he helps Luisa Rey but is a gangster the next time around, and his actor is barely seen in Sonmi-451's story. However it's the framing story - the post-apocalyptic future - in which he seems to finally overcome the demons (figurative and seemingly literal) that have been tormenting his soul. Throughout the story, Zachry is plagued by visions of Old Georgie, a figure telling him to be craven and selfish. It's a temptation we see him succumb to with tragic consequences at the start and he is sorely tempted at various times as the story continues. In overcoming the temptation, he finally is able to find peace with himself, and the film ends with his happy ending.
It's this optimism and love for humanity that I see most strongly from the Wachowskis in this and their other recent work. It seems that Lana and Lily discovering more about themselves has led to them having increasingly more faith in humanity and the future. It results in works so warm that it can be hard to resist them, and causes such excitement for any news of new projects.
Now, I haven't read the novel, so I'm curious to know how much of Cloud Atlas was on the page and what (if anything) the Wachowski's invented for it? Is there anything cut from the novel that is particularly missed on the screen? I'm also curious to know what you guys think of the makeup in this film, and the neccessity of having actors play a variety of races.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 3/28: Election
Next week we'll be talking about Alexander Payne's black comedy about a high school student council election starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon. I know this is a favorite of many of you, so I'll be interested in what you have to say. Election is available on Netflix Instant and Amazon Instant Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 3/17: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
Wednesday we'll have some time to talk about Tina Fey's latest film and how its tale of a woman finding herself as a war correspondent in Afghanistan relates to M*A*S*H. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is still in theaters.
With the recent news of Lily Wachowski's forced outing, it's tempting to look back at the work of the Wachowski sisters in light of now knowing that both of them are trans. And indeed, many of their films deal with questions of identity. In Bound characters explore their sexuality. The The Matrix films imply a duality between our physical existence and how we see ourselves. Jupiter Ascending revolves around a young woman discovering that she is much more than she believed herself to be. And Sens8 involves a collective of 8 people who are increasingly more different aspects of a whole than separate individuals.
Cloud Atlas is another variation on the theme - casting the same actors in multiple roles throughout time to show the interconnectedness of things. It's thus easy to see what drew the Wachowskis to David Mitchell's novel, which proposes the same souls reincarnating throughout time. There's no boundary to how these souls may come back around - class, race, and gender are all meaningless.
It's also a profoundly optimistic and hopeful film. There are six storylines carefully edited to all crescendo and wrap up at around the same time. Each story in some way involves someone learning the value of life and of love for one's fellow man. That kindness begets kindness and treating others poorly comes back to bite you eventually. But there's a hidden seventh story. Most of the recurring actors have characters that are consistent from iteration to iteration. Sturgess is compassionate, Berry is resolute and principled, D'Arcy is curious and open, Broadbent is self-centered and conniving, and Weaving is a cruel agent of power.
But Tom Hanks' characters vary. In some iterations he's real scum, and in others he's a kinder soul. But if you pay attention, his characters become more and more good as time passes. In the earliest timeline he's slowly poisoning his patient to steal his gold. When next we see him he merely extorts Frobischer to not report him to the police. His next few incarnations have their ups and downs - he helps Luisa Rey but is a gangster the next time around, and his actor is barely seen in Sonmi-451's story. However it's the framing story - the post-apocalyptic future - in which he seems to finally overcome the demons (figurative and seemingly literal) that have been tormenting his soul. Throughout the story, Zachry is plagued by visions of Old Georgie, a figure telling him to be craven and selfish. It's a temptation we see him succumb to with tragic consequences at the start and he is sorely tempted at various times as the story continues. In overcoming the temptation, he finally is able to find peace with himself, and the film ends with his happy ending.
It's this optimism and love for humanity that I see most strongly from the Wachowskis in this and their other recent work. It seems that Lana and Lily discovering more about themselves has led to them having increasingly more faith in humanity and the future. It results in works so warm that it can be hard to resist them, and causes such excitement for any news of new projects.
Now, I haven't read the novel, so I'm curious to know how much of Cloud Atlas was on the page and what (if anything) the Wachowski's invented for it? Is there anything cut from the novel that is particularly missed on the screen? I'm also curious to know what you guys think of the makeup in this film, and the neccessity of having actors play a variety of races.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 3/28: Election
Next week we'll be talking about Alexander Payne's black comedy about a high school student council election starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon. I know this is a favorite of many of you, so I'll be interested in what you have to say. Election is available on Netflix Instant and Amazon Instant Video, though it is not free for Prime members.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 3/17: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
Wednesday we'll have some time to talk about Tina Fey's latest film and how its tale of a woman finding herself as a war correspondent in Afghanistan relates to M*A*S*H. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is still in theaters.