'Cloud Atlas' Trailer: Five Key Scenes
A few days after the announcement of the Toronto International Film Festival lineup and the premiere of Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis' "Cloud Atlas," a nearly six-minute trailer has debuted online, giving us glimpses of the six time-bending, interwoven story lines.
Here are the five key scenes from the "Cloud Atlas" trailer.
The first portion of the extended trailer references the book's format and the one the film may adopt as well. In David Mitchell's novel, six separate stories play out over the length of the entire book. Each narrative abruptly stops in the middle with some connection to the next story. The sixth -- structurally speaking, the middle -- story plays out complete in one go. Then the novel mirrors the first half, completing each story in reverse order. If you're already lost, "Cloud Atlas" isn't going to get any clearer from here. We'll just hope we don't end up with anything like the Architect scene from "The Matrix Reloaded."
Much of the trailer focuses on Doona Bae, who you may recognize from the cult Korean film "The Host," and her character, Sonmi-451, one of the many genetically engineered clone waitresses at the Papa Song's diner. When her political feelings clash with the current regime, Sonmi-451 is sentenced to death, but she attempts a daring escape. This futuristic narrative provides some of the trailer's more stunning visuals and the biggest tonal shift for those unfamiliar with the novel.
Berry have a seemingly star-crossed love affair that doesn't look like it will end happily. What's worth pointing out here is that both Hanks and Berry show up in different portions of the story as different characters. The two also appear in the most futuristic part of the movie, a dystopian world where the majority of humanity has died.
The most dramatic visual of the trailer features Berry experiencing a car crash, but the camera stays with her at all times, while the rest of the world spins around. Here we're seeing the effects of this specific team of directors. The Wachowskis have always been known for their otherworldly visuals, just like their co-director, Tykwer.
Speaking of "The Matrix," here's
href="http://www.mtv.com/movies/person/66099/personmain.jhtml">Hugo Weaving handing in another menacing performance for the filmmakers who launched his career. He delivers a foreboding line that could have just as easily been uttered by Agent Smith. "There is a natural order to this world, and those who try to upend it do not fare well."
Check out everything we've got on "Cloud Atlas."
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