Cloud Atlas - Movie Review

     Based on a 2004 contemporary literature novel by the same name,  Cloud atlas tells a story about how souls drift like clouds through time and how lives intertwine with one another in an intricate plot that sparks curiosity. Starring an ensemble cast including Oscar winners Tom Hanks and Halle Berry, not to mention acting talents Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon, Hug Grant, Jim Broadbent, Doona Bae and the list goes on.

    The story shifts between five different timelines, each connected in a mystifying way. Whether it is the adventure of Adam Ewing in 1849 South Pacific or the love letters that musician Robert Frobisher wrote to his lover in 1936 Scotland or the pursuit of truth that Californian journalist Luisa Rey embarked on in 1973 will excite you as much as publisher Timothy Cavendish' struggle to escape his prison in 2012 Great Britain followed by android Sonmi-451's fateful encounter with Hae-Joon Chang in 2144 Neo Seoul and lastly, Zachry's conflict with his inner demon in the post-apocalyptic islands of Hawaii. To say more, dear readers, would count as a spoiler.

    Lana and Andy Wachowski who also directed highly-acclaimed science-fiction flick The Matrix and the nostalgia-inducing Speed Racer managed to faithfully recreate author David Mitchell's whimsical storytelling without making it confusing. All of the starring roles delivered top-notch performance, supported by magnificent makeups and special effects, making it possible for the actors to "live" through different timelines.

    All in all, Cloud Atlas is unmistakeably a love-letter to film-making. A truly spell-binding watch packed with plot twists in an unusually contemporary art-house genre that movie buffs will surely enjoy.

VERDICT:
5/5
Cloud Atlas = cloud nine cinematic experience.

Experience the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWnAqFyaQ5s 

Review by:
Pramudhityo Dewantoro

Film Review "The Three Little Pigs" - Ste

“The Three Little Pigs” is an intense off-the-wall thriller set in an imaginary world in which a bloodthirsty wolf with almost supernatural breathing strength leaves a trail of destruction as he attempts to capture and eat three seemingly helpless little anthropomorphic pigs. He meets his match though in a thrilling climax when sensible building materials and a clever twist involving a chimney ensure that good prevails over evil.

The story opens dramatically with the protagonists being sent out into the world by their mother, to "seek out their fortune". The first little pig builds a house of straw, but a wolf blows it down and gobbles him up after a harrowing chase scene. The second pig builds a house of sticks, which the wolf also blows down, polishing off the pig. A dramatic, powerful and somewhat gory ending involving the third pig ensures that you’ll be on the edge of your seat throughout.

Coming out as it did in 1933 it's a witty satire for the Great Depression, the consequence of no financial planning for a rainy day, the unbreachable gap between the haves and have-nots and the steps we need to take in order to reform the system as Roosevelt's New Deal attempted to do.

This is the kind of film that will appeal to adults and children alike. Although the screenplay is a little repetitive and a touch predictable, it’s definitely a good watch.

 

 

Ste