Fantastic. A cult classic in the make.

Rating: 10/10 (10 March 2013)

There's no denying Cloud Atlas is a bit of a marathon when it comes to length, and a bit of an obstacle course when it comes to structure; but this gem definitely takes the gold medal in the end.
Six refined story lines are entwined throughout the motion picture, and with them presents strong themes such as trust, sacrifice and most powerfully teamwork and co-operation. The film follows the stories of many individuals, either reincarnates of each other or genetic ancestors depending on the viewers own perception, and it does not fail to impress. Three hours is a long time, but the crispy editing, fast-paced storyline and vastly expansive array of characters is sure to keep you hooked right from the get go. The make up artists have really gone all out on this one, and half the fun of this movie is just picking out which actor is playing which character, to which they all play multiple. And the acting is phenomenal. Tom Hanks, in particular, portrays such highly various characters that you will have a hard time believing they're all the same person. He's not the only one to do this, but most notable. Halle Berry and Hugh Grant are also outstanding in this regard. The story is strong and captivating and cannot be summarised without doing injustice to the masterpiece. This is a movie that you must go out and watch and form your own opinion. It may sleek in the shadows for a few years, but I'm sure this will be a cult classic in years to come.