An outstanding masterpiece (unfortunately under-appreciated)

Rating: 10/10 (9 February 2014)

I know all the pedantic writers and proofreaders will be criticising me for my terrible grammar when I say "outstanding masterpiece" because the word masterpiece already implies that the film is outstanding, but that is how highly I feel about this film. It truly is one of the best films ever to hit the screen. Having seen some of the reviews of Cloud Atlas, I feel sorry for those who fail to appreciate the ideas and complexities of Cloud Atlas, as their complaints are usually dripping with dogma and ignorance.
How this film was not nominated for a single Oscar is the most outrageous scandal to plague the film industry. When compared to the likes of The Life of Pi and Zero Dark Thirty, there is now at these films stand up to Cloud Atlas - it makes anyone wonder whether the nominations were rigged. Beautifully shot, outstanding score, and completely original, Cloud Atlas really should have been up contending (and winning) the Best Director, Best Original Score and Best Picture. I truly am lost for words how this film came to be so grossly unappreciated by critics and viewers alike. It is shameful that Cloud Atlas has seemed to have flown under the radar unrecognised and unloved by a thankless audience. This film is both artfully enigmatic and simple at the same time. It feels as if I understand the film inside-out, but also as though I will never be able to fully comprehend it. That is the true beauty of Cloud Atlas, and yet this is the element that goes unappreciated or misinterpreted by the many critics of this film.
One of the most original films to hit the screen, Cloud Atlas recounts six stories encompassing a range of characters through six different timelines. From the bowels of an American slave ship in 1849 to the struggling descendants of a post-apocalyptic Hawaii, this three-hour epic evokes deep ideas and issues that you can be sure to be thinking about for weeks to come. Watching this film with family or friends is highly recommended as I know personally it was one of the rare films that incited deep discussion between viewers of the concepts and ideas portrayed in the film. The beauty of Cloud Atlas is that there is enough subtlety that every individual interprets the film differently, and there is no right or wrong.
All six stories are delicately interwoven by a common theme - the concept of freedom. Whether they are a journalist in possession of a potent secret being doggedly pursued by a deadly hit-man, or an elderly publisher tricked into a care home and terrorised by a tyrannical nurse (played by Hugo Weaving(!) - this particular story was very funny), all were in some way trapped: physically, mentally or otherwise.
The cleverest aspect is that various actors/actresses play multiple characters thought the eras - the idea of them being different reincarnations of themselves generation by generation. Each actor plays a definitive role throughout the film that is their persona, and this only enhances the relationship displayed between each story. The stellar cast of well known names (Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Halle Berry to name a few) pull out faultless performances, fitting seamlessly into each role they are given.
Each story performs a unique function of its own: one makes us cry, one makes us laugh, one has us gripping onto the very edges of our seats; a comedy, action, tragedy, romance, sci-fi all combined beautifully and masterfully into one dazzling film.
An exceptional and unique jewel of a film, this movie is seemingly incredibly under- appreciated at the 7.6 rating it currently holds. This film mysteriously missed out on a lot of awards and deserved, and does deserve far better. Those who fell in love with the film as I did will look back on it as a truly unparalleled classic for generations to come.