A Tour de Force for All!

Rating: 10/10 (5 November 2012)

This is probably one of the most ambitious movies ever made. Thematically speaking, the film adaptation of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas is about as spiritually and richly provocative as could be imagined.
With tour de force performances from every one of its actors is not merely a gimmick. Rather, the multiple roles are meant to illustrate the core themes about evolutionary nature and the actors do so in an exemplary fashion. This is a new form of storytelling that deftly weaves together six different plot lines across the same number of genres including adventure, romance, thriller and comedy.
The science fiction cyber-punk aspects also admirably blend across 1849 through 2346 far more effortlessly and seamlessly than one would think possible.
"I will not be subjected to criminal abuse," proclaims several of the protagonists. Each character's struggle for freedom is punctuated by their present day and past actions.
Whether or not Cloud Atlas gets a sufficient mass audience to feel the same way will depend upon many things. The world has become much more cynical. As villain Hugo Weaving says, "There is a natural order to this world, and those who try to upend it do not fare well." Indeed, this point is well-documented throughout the entire film.
"Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb we belong to others. And with every crime and every kindness, we give birth to the future." The truth is, Cloud Atlas is just the type of movie that the whole world should see and really needs at this point in time. Here's hoping it will achieve the standing that it deserves.