Movie Review: Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas

Release: 26 October 2012
Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Keith David, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Jim Strugess, Donna Bae, Ben Wishaw, James D’Arcy, Xun Zhou, David Gyasi, and Susan Sarandon
Directors: Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski
Genre: Drama, Mystery, SciFi
Length: 172min.
Rating: R

Basic Premise:
Based on the novel Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, this sprawling epic follows the lives of separate individuals through the distant past and the far flung future as they each struggle to break the cycle of tragedy and lost love that plagues them all.

Personal Note:
Just the fact that this post is appearing on my blog after I said I wouldn’t be doing movie reviews any longer (except in special cases) speaks volumes to what I thought of this movie.

Review:
Thought-provoking plot, amazing acting, mind-blowing effects, and fantastic make-up. This movie is a must see. I don’t care what genres you prefer, this movie is one I would recommend for everyone.

Well almost everyone. It’s rated R for a reason. This isn’t for kids. There is bloody (and I do mean bloody), graphic acts of violence. The camera doesn’t shy away from splatter and carnage. There are f-bombs and nudity and sex acts. But none of that is a negative. It made the movie more visceral and tangible.

The cast might be star-studded but they all worked their asses off, each playing multiple roles throughout history and into the future while sometimes wearing impressive makeup. Stay after the movie ends to see the cast credits. They show each actor in all their different roles. Some were really surprising and gave me new respect for the actors.

I look forward to owning this DVD. I might even go see it in theaters again. This movie is funny. It’s violent. It’s tragic. It’s scifi. It’s historical. It’s intrigue and adventure. It’s a little bit of everything all at once. I mean that literally. All parts of the story are told all at once. You jump from the past to the present to the future to present to the past and all over again. While some might think that’s confusing, I didn’t find it hard to keep the storylines straight.

Even though the year hasn’t ended, I think I can safely call Cloud Atlas the best movie of 2012.