Cloud Atlas

Reading David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas left me thinking that this is one book that meanders all over the place and could never make a coherent film. The Wachowski siblings of course proved me wrong.

In 1849, a young lawyer has a brush with slavery and is dying of a mysterious illness on ship while harbouring an escaped slave. In 1936 a young composer is slaving away under an arrogant maestro while composing his own masterpiece. San Francisco in the 1973 sees a journalist trying to unearth a conspiracy. Present day London finds a publisher running away from gangsters in the most amusing fashion. A futuristic Seoul in 2144 shows a genetic clone discovering that she is human. And then there is the really far away time set in a post apocalyptic time. A film set over multitude timescapes that has been stiched together to make a coherent whole. 

Rating: * * +

"Cloud Atlas Poster" by May be found at this website. Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

In the events that launched the Lord of the Rings storyline, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) finds his calm existence shattered by the intrusion of a wizard and thirteen dwarves. Gandalf (Ian McKellen) wants Bilbo to join him and his merry dwarves in the quest of reclaiming the lost city of Erebor from Smaug, the dragon. Unwittingly following their lead, Bilbo finds himself dealing with goblins, elves, orcs, wargs and sorcerers. Featuring the hair raising ride through the goblin tunnels, you are never bored through this film. Then there is the encounter with Gollum (Andy Serkis) and the ring which is the heart of the film. Despite all of this you are left wondering if there is enough meat for The Hobbit to be stretched in to three films... 

Rating: * * +

Little Fish

Tracy (Cate Blanchett) an recovering heroin addict is slowly getting her life back together. She struggles to get a bank loan to start a new business. All seems good but her past comes crowding back in. One by one the characters from her yesterdays, file back into her life sucking her back to a place she does not want to be.

Hugo Weaving plays Tracy's family friend who introduced her to heroin and the man has outdone himself. For once I did not feel like saying, "Welcome, Mr. Anderson".

Rating: * * +