Trailer of the week: Cloud Atlas

Published on 02/08/2012 02:45

A HIGH-CONCEPT, ‘unfilmable’ adaptation of a sprawling sci-fi novel from Tom Twyker and the creators of The Matrix trilogy. No, wait! Come back!

What is it?

Another “unfilmable” novel gets made into a film – in this case David Mitchell’s sci-fi epic, which consists of six loosely linked stories set in the past, the present, and the distant future – each of which is stumbled across by the narrator of the story that follows.

Yep, that sounds pretty unfilmable to me.

And yet, as the first trailer demonstrates, it looks as if Tom Tykwer (director of excellent conspiracy thriller The International) and the Wachowski Brothers (creators of The Matrix), have made what might be the most narratively ambitious and visually spectacular films of next year. The trailer, remarkably, manages to make the whole concept easily understandable within the first few seconds, as it cuts back and forth between a ship sailing the Pacific Ocean in 1850 to hoverbikes racing across a futuristic urban sprawl.

What about the script?

The Wachowskis’ involvement should perhaps ring alarm bells here, given what a mess the Matrix sequels were. The trailer suggests Mitchell’s story might have been reduced to homilies about destiny and love conquering all. Trailers often do that though. Find out in October.