Cloud Atlas is as enigmatic as it is beautiful, much like the haunting musical motif The Cloud Atlas Sextet that forms the backbone of the score by Australian composer Johnny Klimek. All the elements (from the music to the running time to each self-contained story having its own visual approach) add up to one thing, which was the philosophy of the whole movie.

Has the path to acting success changed much? Just how do you get there? Do you need the training? Do you pursue stage or screen? Do you pose for Playboy and check into rehab?

Zemeckis’ take on Carl Sagan’s classic novel of first contact with alien life is reverent and stately. Sensitive and intelligent performances from Jodie Foster and her costars give weight to the real-life struggle facing the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) better than a million alien invasion movies ever could. Contact’s secret sauce is the […]