Magnificent performances in a unique cinematic event.

Rating: 8/10 (10 November 2012)

This is a remarkable movie that is completely actor driven. This movie showcases the talents of all the principal performers. Each one plays multiple roles, some cross-racial, others cross-gender. Their performances are uniformly great. This has to be Tom Hanks' best movie in years, and the same goes for Halle Berry. The story itself is unique and complex, which is both good and not so good. Good because it tries to show the interconnectedness of human beings that transcends time; not so good because in trying to tell such a story, it seems to bite off more than it can chew, meaning that the story after awhile becomes a little mushy. Nevertheless, that's a minor drawback that does not in any way detract from the magnificent performances of the actors throughout the film. To me, a story should have a tight structure; in this movie the producers have opted for a broader approach, which though impressive never quite achieves the level of spectacular. The reason for that is not because of the story itself but because of the structure of the film which is rife with parallel editing which does not quite succeed in keeping the story on track. Hence the storyline unravels. But with Tom Hanks and Halle Berry each doing six rolls, one still leaves the theatre with a feeling that this movie is a unique cinematic event.