Screen_Blitz

The Wachowski team collaborate with writer Tom Tykwer to spin English writer David Mitchell's highly complex novel of the same name into cinematic poetry. Scorching with uncompromising ambition and electrifying visual methodology, Cloud Atlas is an enormous roar of a cinematic project that is bound to divide people. David Mitchell's novel is written in a profoundly unwieldy style, making a daring attempt at balancing six interrelated storylines, that many described as "unfilmable". For the Wachowskis and co-writer Tom Tykwer (who also serves as co-director), unfilmable is not in their books. Their rendition of the seemingly undoable novel is a blooming science-fiction tale with relentless complexity, challenging philosophy, and an outlandish narrative structure that will lead people into coming out with high praise or extreme loathing, with a significantly small minority straying between the middle. To me, this star-studded film roars as a splendid cinematic achievement with glaring flaws that are not too hard to notice but are nonetheless overshadowed by the filmmakers' enchanting style, even if their ambition towers over the film's grasp. Telling as story spanning across six different periods within human history, this film opens up in 1849 in the Pacific Islands where American Lawyer Adam Ewing (played by Jim Sturgess) becomes a stow away on ship carrying a poor African-American man to slavery before challenging to crew in a battle of wills. Jump to 1936 Cambridge, England, we meet Robert Frobisher (played by Ben Whishaw), an English composer who collaborates with an elderly composer (played by Jim Broadbent) who has a dubious agenda hidden under his sleeve. Next, we are taken to 1973 San Francisco, where journalist Luisa Rey (played by Halle Berry) is trapped in an elevator, only to nuclear scientist (played by James D'Arcy) who informs him a diabolical plot to take down a nuclear reactor. This places her on the path of a violent assassin Bill Smoke (played by Hugo Weaving) who tries to outwit her plans. Next up, we come to 2012 London, England where elderly man Timothy Cavendish (also played by Jim Broadbent) who finds himself in the ruts of a retirement home he is wrongly enrolled in. Now jumping ahead to the future, we meet Sonmi-451 (played by Doona Bae) in 2144 Seoul, South Korea where she is subject to slavery at a futuristic fast-food restaurant run by her clones before crossing paths with Yoona-939 (played by Zhao Xun) to rebel against the corrupt system. Finally, we make to 2321 where tribesman Zachary (played by Tom Hanks) and his family are living in a post-apocalyptic society where technology no longer exist. Zachary cross paths with a mysterious woman (also played by Halle Berry) who has connections to the technologically advanced past.

Yes, describing the plot is nothing short of a mouthful. And many will asking what to do these six storylines have in common. The answers are slowly, but subtly unveiled throughout the film, which clocks just merely under three hours. While many will doubt that the runtime isn't inflated, many would be surprised to believe that this runtime might even be enough to fully flesh out of the storylines that take place, especially when viewers are giving the absurdly difficult task of trying to decipher the connection between each storyline. It is a powerfully complex narrative scope that strictly demands your attention in order to keep track of where the film is going on, something that most people may not be able to accomplish upon first viewing. Each storyline is sketched with a unique sense of humanity and melancholy that sheds the light on both the beauty and the darkness of humankind, while paying an absorbing message to how a single choice from the past and change a major course of society in the future. Some storylines are more compelling than others in terms of emotional twists and soundness. The story set in 1936 Cambridge with Ben Whishaw working as a composer for an aging musician is quite subtle as it touches on the forbidden love between two men who share a homosexual relationship, which is gravely prohibited in their society. The emotional payoff at the end of it leaves a brutal impact. The storyline taking place in the dystopian future of South Korea is equally compelling, especially with the Wachowskis' striking visual style, which pays sweet homages to science-fiction classics like 'Blade Runner' and 'The Matrix'. This one has the Wachowskis' handprints all over it. The 2012 London storyline has it moments with idiosyncratic humor and silliness, but perhaps not the most memorable or particularly interesting. The other three also have moments that grab at the heart with both emotional resonance and pulse-pounding tension, but it is hard not to feel that they could have been more fleshed out, especially when they task the actor with foreign accents that make their dialogue painful to understand. As if balancing half a dozen storylines isn't a heavy enough weight to carry, the Wachowskis wield an interesting concept of casting each actor and actress in multiple roles spanning across each storyline, while associated them with more screentime to their main roles. Tom Hanks, easily the most recognizable, puts on a fine performance as the grungy tribesman in the sixth storyline, but journeys way outside his typecast with a series of goofy roles of characters cooked with occasionally laughable foreign accents and heavy prosthetics and make-up that often get a little distracting. It is awfully hard to buy Hanks as an 19th century English man with slightly seeding red hairline. Halle Berry does best in her role as both Luisa Rey in the 1973 storyline and the 2321 story, though she is slightly more memorable in the former. Hugo Weaving on the other hand, competes in his villainous typecast in each storyline, playing in roles that owe significant reminiscence to his role as Agent Smith in the 'Matrix' franchise. And here's a hilarious case-in-point, one of those roles is an elderly transgender woman. Jim Broadbent does his best in most of his roles, though perhaps his most memorable outing would be his shtick in the 2012 London storyline. Ben Whishaw and Jim Sturgress have their moments in their respective roles, but there is no doubt that they have done more remarkable works in the past.

Cloud Atlas is destined to leave people divided in terms of structure, scope, and innovation. But that does not take away from the cerebral beauty that makes the film such a pleasant, if not masterful cinematic experience. The prolonged runtime will alienate some, but for everyone else, is an cinematic achievement that deserves to be embraced.

Argo is a film that suitably fits in the category of films that tackle real-life events and captures them with electrifying precision and grit, and it is Ben Affleck who is taking the director's chair. With 2007's 'Gone Baby Gone' and 2010's 'The Town' stamped on his resume, Affleck proves himself as a filmmaker fueled with astonishing directorial virtuosity It is little to no wonder he was the perfect choice of this political thriller, a briskly-paced, suspense-driven rendition of the stranger-than-fiction real-life event that marked an unlikely collaboration with Hollywood and the U.S government in effort to execute one of the most daring rescue missions performed in history. The central role of the film is the Iran Hostage Crisis of 1979-1981, a world-rocking event that not only marked the beginning of the blood-drenched tensions between the United States and the Middle East but shattered with distressing effects that still linger today. Of course, like most cinematic interpretation of historical events, the film is not empty of wielding creative liberties at the expense of significant historical accuracy. Affleck's depiction of the event has been held in the crossfire of controversary, with many deeming it as either exaggerated or fabricated from what really took place. However, that is nothing to take away from how grippingly entertaining it is. Set during the final decade of the Cold War, Affleck takes the lead role of Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who was approached by the agency to rescue six Americans who were hostage in the U.S Embassy in Tehran, Iran in 1979 in the heat of a political uprising before taking refuge at the home of the Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor (played by Victor Garber). Knowing that they would eventually be found and captured to be taken in public execution if they stayed there any longer, Mendez collaborated with Hollywood producer Lester Siegal (played by Alan Arkin) and make-up artist John Chambers (played by John Goodman) came up with a plan that was far out of the ordinary: pose as a Hollywood producer under a fake name and disguise the hostages as his film crew in search for location to shoot a fake science-fiction movie titled "Argo" in an effort to sneak them through an airport ran by angry-faced, gun-wielding guards. Intertwining the story is his supervisor Jack O'Connell (played by Bryan Cranston) who along with his colleagues keep contact with Mendez during his dangerous mission.

Curious to what the Iranian revolution was about? It was about rebelling against the Pahlavi dynasty under the ruling of Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi who was upheld by President Jimmy Carter. Swiping from the pages of the Tony Mendez's memoir 'The Master of Disguise' and Joshuah Bearman's memoir 'The Great Escape', this film, written by Chris Terrio, paints an authentic picture of the real-life events while appropriately masquerading as a tension-fueled race-against-the-clock thriller defies against the typical tropes of an espionage thriller. Ben Affleck shows he has an ambitious eye for detail and a heart for a palpable atmosphere that plays a major role in delivering the emotional touch for each scene taking place within the violent, dirty, socially unrest environment of Iran. He effectively lands the look of a period set in 70s and early 80s, and the intertwining of archive footage of President Jimmy Carter and news footage help set both the political and emotional tone. He also bravely exhibits with talent in front of the camera with a performance that, while proficient, doesn't quite mark one of his most memorable roles. It is his directorial efforts that takes the crown. He proves himself capable of staging each scene with a vivid eye for detail, and his effort pay off especially well for the final thirty minutes when Tony Mendez must lead the hostages through an airport where Iranian guards are watching with bold eyes, locked and loaded. The entire scene, crafted with captivating, you-are-there hand-held cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto, scorches with suspense as the atmosphere boils with arresting fear of what will happen if they get caught. On the other hand, there are moments of levity offered by John Goodman and Alan Arkin in scenes showing their time at the Hollywood studios as well as moments of their collaboration with Ben Affleck with their running gag line "Argo f**k yourself".

Argo is an electrifying, tautly crafted political thriller that bears powerful evidence that Ben Affleck holsters plenty of talent behind the camera as much as in front of the camera, perhaps even more so. The film is entertaining, smart, and rarely bears a dull moment. If the fictional liberties of the event don't bother you, you are in for a gripping, if not remarkable cinematic ride. In conclusion, it stands tall as one of 2012's best motion pictures.

Danish director Thomas Vinterberg's The Hunt is a dark, powerful, and remarkably haunting testament of a human's innocence crumbled by a misunderstood lie, and the repercussions that follow when the ones who hold your trust the most immediately turn on you before you know it. Whether Vinterberg is taking inspiration from specific real-life events leads little to be known, but the sad news is the events that transpire within the near-two-hour runtime occur to people all around the world more often than many realize. In today's society, it is not uncommon for the innocent victim to be robbed of justice. So what is the topic here? The topic is sexual assault, a major issue that has run rampant throughout society like the plague while innocence of victims, or, in some cases, the wrongly accused hides in the dark as evil prevails with no obstacles to be set free. Mads Mikkelson takes the lead role in the story of a man who is caught at the business end of everyone's cruel misunderstanding while he watches as his life is sucked into a downward spiral. By the end to the film, it is nearly impossible to keep your heart intact from the sheer emotional destruction that follows. This film tells the story of Lucas (played by Mads Mikkelson), a divorced kindergarten teacher who appears to have his life in shape. The children at school love him like a father, and he is dating a beautiful woman (played by Alexandra Rappaport) who hopes to marry. But things get weird when he discovers that one of the girls in his class has somewhat of a crush on him. Lucas believes it is just part of her weird imagination. However, when the girl unexpectedly makes up a story about him doing some sexual misconduct to her, he becomes a target of hatred and hostility by the community including the girl's father (played by Thomas Bo Larsen), her mother (played by Anne Louis Hassing), and the community as a whole as he struggles to prove he is innocent.

Thomas Vinterber and co-writer Tobias Lindholm display the liveliness of their storytelling while the former operates the story with a strictly appropriate pacing and delicacy that paints an honest picture of the ugly side of the human race. The subject matter powering to the story is far from comforting and can be especially displeasing for anyone who has dealt with similar incidents. After all, this film never makes any attempts to sugarcoat the upsetting aftermath that consumes an innocent man's life. But that is only part of what makes it so powerful and, at times, deeply frustrating to the point where you can't help but roar at the corrupt face of human nature. We know Lucas is innocent but the community almost immediately sides with the little girl and believes Lucas is an evil seed. Their response to the innocent little lie only evokes sympathy for Lucas as he is forced to endure mass hysteria of angry citizens while he struggles to prove to them that the girl is lying for the sake of exercising her unchained imagination., even when she later admits she was only telling a story. And his struggle would not be emotionally draining enough without the powerful performance by Mads Mikkelson who nails the role with flying colors. The innocence in his eyes never soars away, and his talent on fueling the role with effectiveness pays more than enough to win our hearts up until the end credits roll. And Charlotte B. Christensen blesses the dark environment, lit with eerie lighting to grip viewers with deep displeasure, with striking cinematography that gracefully captures the tone and despair of the characters. It is genuinely impossible to recall a single shot that felt out of place.

The Hunt is a haunting, yet brutally powerful drama full of heart, despair, and deeply gripping emotion. And by no means will people will exit it without being choked with a sense of dread or exhaustion, but that is only what makes it a profoundly memorable experience in more ways than one. Thomas Vinterberg delivers a shocking whiplash of a cinematic work that desperately deserves your attention.