PREVIEW: Cloud Atlas (15)

Taking centre stage at The Cinema At Gloucester Guildhall this week is perhaps the most ambitious cinematic undertaking in recent memory. From Lana & Andy Wachowski, the visionary creators of The Matrix Trilogy, comes the long awaited adaptation of David Mitchell's award-winning epic novel Cloud Atlas. Starring a heavyweight ensemble cast including Academy Award winners Tom Hanks and Halle Berry alongside the likes of Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Ben Wishaw and Susan Sarandon, this science-fiction drama will take you on an incredible journey from the the remote South Pacific in the 19th century to a post-apocalyptic future where each member of the ensemble appears in multiple roles as the stories move through time.

Because it would be impossible to fully divulge in the film's plot, Cloud Atlas can be best described as an exploration into how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future.  Action, mystery and romance weave dramatically through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future.

Spending nearly four years in development hell due to lack of funding, this seemingly "unfilmable" novel was eventually produced to the tune of $102 million from a number of independent sources making it one of the most expensive independent films of all time. Yet even when you remove this accolade out of the equation, and that much like the original source material its sprawling, ambitious blend of thought-provoking narrative and eye-catching visuals might prove too unwieldy for some, you are still left with a film which exhibits an immense sense of scope and scale that make it almost impossible to ignore.

Premiering at last year's Toronto Film Festival whereupon it received a 10 minute standing ovation, Cloud Atlas now takes its deserved place on the Gloucester Guildhall screen for a very limited engagement so don't miss your chance to witness a film that boasts incredible cinematography and visual style, along with a superb ensemble cast and a Golden Globe nominated score from co-director Tom Twyker (Perfume).

*Breathtaking action, profound emotion and a dark sense of fun make this the most ambitious, original movie event in years.* Hannah McGill, The List

*It's an adventure into the very concept of storytelling: magical, enthralling and thrilling*

Ian Nathan, Empire Magazine

*Tykwer and the Wachowskis have labored long and hard to turn Mitchell's very literary material into something cinematic* Robbie Collin, Daily Telegraph

Check out the trailer here:

Cloud Atlas (15) opens on Friday 3rd and closes on Tuesday 7th May. Performances are at 7:45pm everyday except Sunday and Monday along with Screen Tea shows at 10:45am on Saturday and 2pm on Tuesday.