You may like it, you may hate it, but trust me go see it at least once because there will never be a film like this again

Rating: 9/10 (5 November 2012)

We look unique, we live poles apart, our thoughts incompatible and our perceptions varied – are human beings that disconnected? The film "Cloud Atlas" does not think so, for actions of either crime or kindness in one life impacts another across time and space – from a voyage in 1849 to 1936 England, San Francisco of the 70s, present-day UK, a highly futuristic Korea and Hawaii 106 winters post-apocalypse. Six different settings, six different stories and six different genres – now this is a movie I have not seen before.
Based on the widely acclaimed - and considered to be unfilmable - novel by David Mitchell, 'ambitious', or an even stronger word, can be definitely applied here in realizing that the project attempts to turn six separate stories into one smooth narrative, has a budget of independently funded $100m, is directed by three people, is three hours long and includes an international all star cast i.e. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Doona Bae, Zhou Xun, Susan Surandon, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, the amazing Ben Whishaw etc. At first glance, there's amazement to be had and, along with it, worry since the outstanding nature of "Cloud Atlas" can either transcend it or bury it.
For me, the film sits safely on the former because the film has great visuals. However, this is to be expected considering the film is directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer, the ones who made slow-motion in the Matrix series a cinematic gimmick and successfully infused sinister into beauty in Perfume: Story of a Murderer, respectively. Along with that is an intriguing spiritually-driven story and six segments spanning six different movie genres that are all jaw-dropping. Also, there are powerful performances from everybody involved, particularly from a measured, intense and vulnerable Doona Bae as fabricant Sonmi~451. Furthermore, the editing is remarkable, with transitions seamlessly intertwining the six stories together (sometimes connecting them even), greatly aiding the film's pace and holding your interest throughout. Music (composed by Tykwer and his band) and cinematography (by both John Toll and Frank Griebe) are fabulous, with melancholy melodies and special shots that are undoubtedly memorable. The make-up is commendable as well, successfully giving six different looks to one actor, sometimes changing their race and even gender. Stay for the credits to see who's who – surprises are in store!
However, the make-up for the Korea segment is awful. It seems like they did not even try making Caucasians look like Asian, thus pulling you out of the experience quite constantly. While the editing is effective, you can only marvel its greatness later in the game because at the beginning, jumping from one story to another is jarring, border-lining madness even. However, the main complaint is reserved to the final segment in Hawaii, where, to remain faithful with the source material, characters mainly speak with a dialect that will burn your ears and brain i.e. 'smart' means technology and 'true-true' means truth. A word of warning: read this part in the novel first, double pretty please.
Despite these low points, "Cloud Atlas" is worth a ride to the cinema. This was the best 3 hours I have spent and like many, I am looking for another person to discuss the film (and perhaps see it again) with me. You may like it, you may hate it, but trust me go see it at least once because there will never be a film like this again. A solid 9 out of 10.