Couldn't move a muscle until the end credits stopped rolling

Rating: 10/10 (14 May 2014)

I don't often get deeply affected by movies. More often than not I get up when the movies done, sigh, think to myself 'well that was nice' and carry on.
But Cloud Atlas left me speechless and unable to move. It has a dizzying and profound power that stayed with me, and I couldn't spoil it by bombarding myself with any other stimuli or conversation. I'm often one of 'those people' who turns their phone back on as soon as they walk out of the cinema, but I forgot I even had one.
It may take some people a while to adjust to the film's sporadic jumps between story lines, of which there are a few. You start following one set of characters, then suddenly you're following someone else, and it takes you a while to see where the thread that connects them lies.
It was genius to have the same actors playing many different roles. It becomes a game, trying to guess who's playing who. The make-up is incredible, often making the actor almost unrecognizable.
If you enjoy movies a little more cerebral, a little more thought- provoking and perhaps a little challenging, this is a must see.
Tom Tykwer, you're brilliant!