Breathtakingly Ambitious, Impeccably Acted Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (3 February 2019)

David Mitchell's "unadaptable" 2004 novel featured 6 different storylines in 5 different centuries: a nightmare for any Hollywood producer. The unpredictable Wachowskis however have managed to create what is for me the greatest film of 2012 ( a statement people will fervently agree and disagree with in equal measure).
To start with, the cast is flawless. This may be Tom Hanks's greatest role to date, playing multiple disparate characters with ease, whilst Halle Berry and Jim Broadbent also excel. Hugo Weaving and Hugh Grant round things out playing a host of villainous characters, which makes for great watching. Piecing together the connections that each actor's characters have to each other is a fun exercise, and it's fascinating to see how each soul changes over the centuries. The score, especially the stirring music of the finale, has endless replay value, whilst the costumes, makeup (often heavy to the point of obscuring some actors entirely), and set design are exquisitely done.
The film's greatest strength however is the wealth of emotions it conveys throughout, through its six stories which share common themes but are so fundamentally different in style. From the hilarious Broadbent-led farce to the paranoid 70s-set thriller with Berry and the most Wachowski-esque story, a futuristic dystopian story where Doona Bae takes the lead, the intricately-crafted stories interweave and diverge with such speed that repeat viewings are a requirement. The edits can become formidable at times, especially at times when multiple stories are entering climactic moments, but as the film progresses it becomes increasingly apparent that each edit has been perfectly timed to coincide with similar themes in a concurrent story.
I was left feeling (in a good way) overwhelmed by the sheer size and complexity of the piece, and immediately wanted to see it all over again: this is pretty rare. Understandably, it will not be a lot of people's cup of tea, but if you're into expertly crafted philosophical eulogising on the state of humanity, then 'Cloud Atlas' is the film for you.
97/100