Reincarnation at it's best

Rating: 8/10 (27 October 2012)

I am going to start off by saying that I was very excited to see this film. The trailer made it look so interesting and engaging. I think that there is a certain fascination with reincarnation that will draw folks in to see this film, whether you believe in it or not. I expected the film to flow seamlessly from one life to another; that was not the case. I recommend that you drink a red bull and wear something comfortable before you purchase that ticket. There are two main points that I want to make.. One is that the film is a hodgepodge of mini stories that keeps hopping around (hence the red bull). The second point is that this film is long; really long (hence the comfortable clothes). By the time this film was over I was more than ready to get out of there. With all that being said, the film did have some beautiful scenery, but I spent most of the time trying to relate the cast of characters from one life to the next life. Normally in these reviews I would write about the actors and their characters, but that will be difficult to do in this case since all the main actors play so many different roles, so I will just write about what I felt like were the main ones. Plus, I don't want to ruin the fun for the rest of you. The film begins and ends with Zackry (Tom Hanks). When first introduced you are not quite sure if he is from the past or from the future, but all is revealed in the end. Luisa Rey (Halle Berry) is an investigative reporter (among other roles) who is trying to follow in her father's footsteps by uncovering a major injustice in the oil industry. Sonmi-451 (Doona Bae) is the most endearing character. I was rooting for her all the way throughout the film, although when she showed up again in the 1700s, I was a little bit surprised. There are a whole lot of actors that I can mention, but it would be too exhausting. I will say this. This film is an excellent test of acting skills and stretches the actors in all kinds of directions. The question is whether or not this film is worth getting butt blister to see. I am teetering between amber and green, but I am going to go with a green light just because the subject matter is so engaging.