"Cloud Atlas" is the very best of epic "has it all" movies

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 2012)

"Cloud Atlas" is jaw-droppingly, awe-inspiringly, eye-poppingly stunning in every way. I could leave it at that, for no review, article, essay or book could do a description of this movie justice (except, of course, for David Mitchell's original novel upon which the film is based. But even then, only maybe). What directors Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, and Lana Wachowski have accomplished here is a film that is felt deeply, a film that is an experience through everything that makes us human, the good and the bad. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Hugh Grant, and many more play multiple roles across many ages of time. Their characters' actions cause ripples in the pond of endless existence. A curious birthmark, a common theme, and an unstoppable force of masterful pacing are all that seem to connect their stories at first glance. But the magic the filmmakers have accomplished occurs on deeper levels, within us, the audience. "Cloud Atlas" adds to you. It becomes a part of you. Let the film wash over you and inspire you to greatness. Who knows how your actions of today could affect someone generations from now. This film boldly visualizes that notion in an Oscar-worthy tale that is among the year's best. See it! Because if ever a film could boast that it "has it all", it is "Cloud Atlas".
-Thomas Bond