A Close Look At CLOUD ATLAS
The cast of the film version of David Mitchell’s novel Cloud Atlas is so impressive, it’s enough to fill the entire movie poster (click on it for a larger version).
In an 8-page feature, in this week’s New Yorker, writer Aleksandar Hemon looks at how the book, which was widely considered unfilmable, finally made it to the screen (and nearly didn’t).
The sibling filmmakers, Lana and Andy Wachowski, first learned about the novel in 2004 while working on V for Vendetta. They noticed Natalie Portman reading the novel obsessively between takes. It took many years to figure out how to film it, and, perhaps more importantly, how to finance it.
In reporting on the film’s first screening, Hemon gives the first review, “…the movie carefully guided the viewer through its six story lines with just enough intriguing unfamiliarity, while succeeding — nearly miraculously — in creating a sense of connectedness among the myriad characters and retaining Mitchell’s idea of the unviversality of love, pain, loss and desire… In addition to applause at this screening, there were tears and triumphant hugs.”
The film premieres at the Toronto Film Festival this month and opens in teathers on Oct. 26.
Official Web Site: CloudAtlasMovie.com
The tie-in arrives in early October. Meanwhile, the paperback reprint of the original has been in the Amazon Top 100 for over two months (it is now at #21). Holds are heavy in many libraries.
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