Interview with James D'Arcy at Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2013, premiere of Cloud Atlas

James D'Arcy ( Hitchcock, W.E ) attended the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival  2013 premiere of Cloud Atlas, which took place on Saturday 16th February at the Savoy in Dublin, Ireland.

James D'Arcy, plays Rufus Sixsmith, as well as some other roles. The film has a star studded cast - James D'Arcy, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, among others. each of them in turn, taking on several roles throughout the film. This project had not only one but three directors - Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski, Tom Tykwer.

This film is an ambitious and dazzling epic, adapted from David Mitchell's book. Questions, mysteries, love, emotions and life changing decisions delve into some of the unexplained questions about life and purpose that humanity has pondered over since the start of conscious thought. Some of the plots being -  a San Francisco Attorney harbors a fleeting slave on a fateful voyage home from the Pacific Islands in 1849.. a poor gifted composer in pre-World War II Britain struggles to complete his magnum opus before a reckless act catches up with him.. a journalist in 1973 works to avert an industrial disaster.. a present publisher, on the eve of the greatest success, faces unjust imprisonment...etc, etc.

Each scenario is introduced, then unfolds alongside the others, while fluid transitions from one to another reveal the ways in which they are linked, all becomes apparent towards the middle of the film, according to your perspective. Characters meet and re-unite from one life to the next, and the consequences of their actions in previous 'lives' have an impact on and shape their future.

I had a chat with James D'Arcy on the red carpet about the film -

James D'Arcy at the post screening discussion, was unsure how it would work with three directors, but actually stated that there was great co-ordination between all three, and they were in fine tune and harmony with one another. He found the experience working with the directors very pleasant and work productive. Doubting before filming had begun how this would work out, as in an ideal situation, working with multiple directors could pose some difficulties. Explaining that each director took responsibility for certain scenes and the 'cuts to' the next would be the responsibility of the next Director and worked with total fluidity. On reflection, he revealed that it was great as sometimes in his experience working with one director sometimes could create conflict.

On reading the book also, James wondered and considered the impossibilities, impracticalities of such a story becoming adapted for screen. However, explained that the whole structure was changed, to fit the needs for screen. It took 3 years for the book to be adapted and write the script.  Due to the sequences and nature of the story there was an intense storyboading process, and James recalls that despite that he never saw a storyboard on set.

The musical score for the film was also composed by Tom Tykwer, together with Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil, before the film was shot, the music was played at the read through for the script. The musical score (s) played a central part to the many changing sequences throughout the film, 'The Cloud Atlas Sextet' which re occurs throughout the film to connect multiple threads.

" It's an ever present melody from a simple string line to a riff in a 1970's rock piece, to a jazz sextet playing the background at the Cavendish party. We needed something beautiful and malleable enough to take us through 5 centuries....There are lots of subjective voices throughout the story, and we were searching for one voice, that could encompass them all, to form a beautiful choir". Tykwer said.

Throughout the film screening and discussion, James was gentlemanly, eloquent and willing to expand on any questions posed to him, and kindly obliging for a photo with myself -

Links

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1371111/