misery echoes through time

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2013)

One of the most impressive movies ever looks at the ripple effects of different actions throughout history and into the future. The main cast members play multiple roles of people trying to right the wrongs and bring about positive change. I liked how they edited the movie to have the numerous plot lines coincide with each other, ensuring a better understanding of the characters' motivations. Like "Planet of the Apes" and "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Cloud Atlas" poses the question of humanity's origins and where we're headed. While the visuals are overwhelming in some scenes, the movie is all about the characters: Jim Sturgess's lawyer, Ben Whishaw's composer, Halle Berry's journalist, Jim Broadbent's publisher, Doona Bae's slave, Tom Hanks's tribesman, and the other characters played by each of these people plus Susan Sarandon's and Hugh Grant's characters add up to a most amazing movie. I really recommend it.