Majorca big blockbuster flop

Released in the States just in time for the Oscars, it failed to get a single nod and now we have to wait until February 22 for its release in Europe.

There was talk of the European premiere being held here in Majorca but unfortunately, the Council of Majorca, via the now defunct Mallorca Film Commission, was late in coming up with the funding it had pledged, around 100'000 euros, to the producers so having the likes of Hanks and Berry walking the red carpet in Palma is now looking somewhat unlikely.

The genre hybrid Cloud Atlas has already proved failure in the United States (which Warner Bros. lost money on, acquiring it for $25 million for North America.) But, the reviews swing from one extreme to another.

Some critics in the United States maintain that the sprawling sci-fi epic was one of the most polarizing films of the year - although Time magazine chose it as the worst film of 2012.

The film spins a half dozen stories stretching over 600 years.
Directors Lana and Andy Wachowski (Matrix) and Tom Tykwer have been acclaimed for handling the complicated plot in a brilliant way, cutting back and forth between different eras.

And the performances - especially Ben Whishaw as a doomed homosexual composer in 1930s England - were equally strong. “This is a movie destined to be studied by film students and historians for years to come,” wrote critic James Ward.
But, what ever people say, it is what the movie takes that counts and so far Cloud Atlas appears to be rather short of covering its production costs and not having been nominated for any major awards will also have done little to have boosted its profile and attraction.

Hopefully however, it will do Majorca some good on the global stage and help to lift tourism in the same way New Zealand is reaping the rewards from its film industry.