Staggering achievement!

Rating: 8/10 (31 October 2012)

First of all, let it be made clear that any attempt to effectively summarise 'Cloud Atlas' is futile. It is a film that is grand in vision & scope. It is a film that tells 6 stories spanning the years 1846 to 2346, with the same actors taking on different roles across the 6 segments. The actors play different ages, different nationalities & in some cases, different sexes! If there are any overt connections between the roles being enacted by a particular actor, they are definitely not apparent on first viewing. Perhaps repeat viewings may help in deciphering if there are, in fact, any connections at all! The first 20 odd minutes of the movie are often confusing as the various stories gradually unfold. Once past that initial hurdle, however, the film hits its stride magnificently. The 2 sets of directors - the Wachowskis & Tom Tykwer - deserve accolades for successfully conceptualising & executing what must have certainly been a logistical nightmare to shoot & edit. Despite its inordinate length, 'Cloud Atlas' is almost always absorbing. Special mention must be made of the immaculate art direction & breathtaking cinematography, which make every frame of the film come alive in impossibly beautiful ways. The actors are all, without exception, first rate. This is a film that is an acquired taste, pushing the boundaries of conventional cinema in hitherto unexplored directions...