You are going to need a lot of popcorn

Rating: 8/10 (26 December 2013)

There is plenty I didn't like about Cloud Atlas, but let's skip over that for now because after it's said and done the fact remains that this movie whirls ahead with such fluidity and grace that for almost three hours its own stink never catches up with it. A movie lover such as myself will likely find themselves riveted to its every bump and turn like a cat entranced by a laser pointer. I'm still not entirely sure if Halle Berry was actually played by Tom Hanks or vice versa, I confess I had no idea what was going on until a second watch-through. It's a shame they don't make closed-captioning for the stupid. If you are on drugs right now don't even try, trust me, you'll need a cup of coffee. There are too many elements deserving of praise to mention, but the driving force is the chemistry of the talented and charismatic cast and David Mitchell & the Wachowskis' sly storytelling (I didn't read the book but it's obviously pretty good so go and pick it up), with Tom Tykwer's pace-setting score really tying the whole thing together like the rug in The Dude's apartment. Jim Broadbent and Xun Zhou stand out in particular, if only for their good looks. Also, some stuff blows up real good. Give it a go but be forewarned, you are going to need a lot of popcorn.