Overly Ambitious and Jumbled

Rating: 6/10 (26 October 2012)

The fact that you are interested in watching this film and that it was even made should be heralded as a collective success, because Cloud Atlas is a thought provoking film. Your personal and collective philosophies will be challenged, and your emotions will be engaged. Each of the six stories address mankind's struggle against seemingly inexorable systems/oppressors, and resolve that love can help us overcome the worst hell. Cloud Atlas also requires that you have a super-trained memory because the six story lines are jumbled and unnaturally presented. I don't mind a thinking man's movie, just as long as my brain doesn't attempt to shut down after being exhausted by the editor's brutal film gymnastics.
Three of Cloud Atlas' story lines are wildly entertaining. That also means that three are also lacking. If you are willing to accept that you may have to either take a notepad with you to keep track of the story lines and trudge through some uninspired acting (sometimes Hanks & Berry are flat), or commit yourself ahead of time to watch this film twice, then go out and purchase your ticket. Otherwise, wait for the film to come out on Netflix.