An Amazing Movie

Rating: 10/10 (4 November 2012)

I took my siblings with me to watch the movie, the 12.30am show. During the drive they kept saying that they would sleep throughout the movie because it was too late and the running time was too long. However, I took them along with me, hoping that they wouldn't sleep through it. The movie started and I must say that the first 20 minutes it feels quite slow. However, things begin to speed up after that and that's when the fun starts. The Sonmi-451 segment is fast-paced and visually amazing. The whole city is stunning to look at and the story progresses quite fast.
'The Pacific Journal of Adam Ewing' is a bit slow. However, many will find it interesting. If you are looking for comedy, then 'The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish' is for you. The directors give everything to the audience in this movie. You have your mystery, your period drama, sci-fi and comedy, all in one movie. You will find some of the stories boring, while some you will enjoy. This depends upon the kind of genre you like watching.
Owing to the fact that the cast is amazing, the performances are awesome. Every actor delivers and you will feel that they really got the concept of the movie. The makeup is the 'fun' part of the film and you will enjoy trying to figure out the actors playing different characters while donning various get-ups.
Is this movie for everyone? Well, I would say that it isn't. Many people won't like the way the directors shift from one story to the next and so on. Many people won't even be able to find the 'connections' in the six stories. However, I would say that such people will enjoy the film if they stop thinking of finding connections. Just think of this film as six independent stories regarding the struggle that six individuals have to go through. If you don't want to think too much then don't. The film is enjoyable even if you can't figure out what the story wants to convey.
Should the directors have done something that could have connected to a wider audience? The answer lies in whether or not they wanted to make this film into a blockbuster or if they wanted to do something completely out of the box. The directors have displayed their skills and the actors have conveyed that they are able to tackle an array of different characters without breaking a sweat.
I'm just happy that my siblings didn't sleep through the movie. They watched the whole thing. Yes, they didn't quite understand what the actors were saying, especially in the 'Sloosha's Crossin' story. However, they were still able to understand the film.
Cloud Atlas is a spectacle when it comes to the visuals and the acting. Every actor has so much to deliver in as each character. Give this movie a chance. Watch it with an open mind. The film is able to deliver a lot for the amount you have paid for the ticket. I don't know if it will be able to attract any Oscar buzz. However, I feel it will be considered, in the years to come, as a movie in which the directors tried to bring something different to the big screen.