Pleasantly surprised

Rating: 8/10 (30 October 2012)

I went into the theater with a preconceived negative opinion about what I was about to see, based on the mixed reviews I had read. For example, I generally don't care for short stories, so the idea of seeing a film with 6 short stories, even though interconnected, was not appealing. And, a lot of people are giving the impression that this film is difficult to understand. So, I figured I would be one of those people who really didn't understand it. You might ask why I went. Well, I rather like Tom Hanks, and even people who have criticized the film seem to be impressed with its visualization and scope.
First off, the actors. Tom Hanks in perhaps his finest role...or I should say roles. Halle Berry, extremely impressive. Susan Sarandan, a very entertaining role. I was impressed with one actor with whom I was not familiar -- Ben Whishaw. And, Jim Broadbent was wonderfully entertaining. There were others as well, many of whom carried multiple roles. No complaint about the acting here.
I found the stories reasonably easy to follow. A few connections escaped me, but don't take a very long bathroom or snack counter break -- you might miss a key connection.
The photography and special effects are tremendous.
So while I entered the theater with negative feelings, I left rather uplifted by it all. It would be difficult to sit through it all again...at least in a theater. Perhaps on DVD, where it could be broken into sections it might be more enjoyable a second time. And for those who are seeing it multiple times hoping to bring more clarity...my guess is that while multiple viewings might clear up a few points, if you don't get the gist of the story the first time around, you probably won't get the gist of it the third time around, either.
I rarely give 8's, but this time I will! A very good film, and a very interesting film project. Whether or not it will earn back its $100 million cost...well, that's another story. But I bet it sells a lot of books...I'll buy one.