There are only a handful of actors with a career as consistently commendable as Tom Hanks’. It’s likely that you could tally up Tom Hanks’ rare missteps on just one hand, and it’s undeniable that he ranks among the finest actors of our time. Any compilation of the top Tom Hanks films encompasses a significant portion of the finest cinematic works ever created by anyone.
Among his lesser-acknowledged films, the 2012 science fiction saga Cloud Atlas, helmed by the Wachowski siblings, stands out. In this elaborate adaptation of David Mitchell’s novel, Hanks takes on six distinct characters, all within a narrative that traverses centuries. While it does have its admirers, it also found itself listed on numerous compilations of the least impressive movies of that particular year.
Tom Hanks Believes Cloud Atlas Reshaped His Career
Interestingly, among the most ardent enthusiasts of the film is none other than Tom Hanks himself. In fact, the actor has previously ranked Cloud Atlas among his top three films, and in a conversation with Collider, he acknowledged that his divisive collaboration with the Wachowski siblings had a profound influence on the trajectory of his later career.
“Quite frankly, when I took on Cloud Atlas, that reshaped everything as far as going into a movie that I’d ever made,” he said. “There was only one way to do that and that was completely give yourself over to all the decisions that all these other people made and only care about what happened on the inside of the costume and inside of the make-up.”
Hanks further noted that Cloud Atlas stood as “the most complicated jigsaw puzzle of a film ever,” a description that actually led him to become more at ease with the potential pitfalls that can arise during the creation of a less complex movie.
“The only way I think any of us could [make the movie] was just to go in and quietly close our eyes and work and have the characters and go to it. That means a shedding of all that self-consciousness, whatever was still left of it. And it was liberating. It was completely freeing because it was a union with the script and a union with the characters and that’s all that mattered.”
Despite the film’s layered storyline, Cloud Atlas failed to impress most of the moviegoers.
Tom Hanks’ Career’s Most Complicated Role
Tom Hanks is not alone in his assessment; Cloud Atlas stands as a multifaceted science fiction opus and ranks among the most intricate films ever crafted. Adapted from David Mitchell’s novel with the same title, this movie navigates divergent timelines spanning generations. Despite featuring stars like Hanks and Halle Berry, the film struggled to find success at the box office, possibly due to its intricate narrative structure.
For Hanks, Cloud Atlas stands as a lasting testament to the most intricate film he has been part of. In a storyline that spans a century, Hanks skillfully embodied six distinct characters. Despite the intricacy, Hanks developed a deep fondness for his involvement in the movie, and he openly acknowledged how it has left an indelible impact on the trajectory of his subsequent career.
Cloud Atlas is available for rent or purchase on Google Play.
Source: The Digital Flix
