Simply fantastic.
Cloud Atlas is one of those films that's incredibly difficult to describe without sounding like you've completely lost the plot.
From the mind of Andy Wachowski, this is an ambitious, unique and wonderfully bonkers film that might just deserve to sit alongside The Matrix as one of his greatest achievements.
At first, I'll admit, I struggled.
The film jumps between multiple stories, multiple timelines and multiple versions of the same actors. For the first twenty minutes, I felt like I was trying to watch six different films at the same time.
But then something clicks.
Instead of dreading the next jump, you start looking forward to it. Just as one story gets interesting, the film throws you somewhere completely different. Past, present, future... then back again. Before long, you find yourself completely invested in all of them.
The cast is excellent throughout, and half the fun is spotting who's playing who. Some transformations are so convincing that I genuinely didn't recognise certain actors until long after the credits rolled.
One thing that surprised me was the humour. There's some wonderfully British comedy sprinkled throughout the film, and it actually works. That's something American filmmakers don't always get right, but Cloud Atlas manages it beautifully.
What impressed me most was the sheer ambition of the whole thing.
Most films are happy telling one story.
Cloud Atlas looked at that idea and thought, "Why not tell six?"
And somehow it works.
It's emotional, funny, thought-provoking and occasionally leaves your brain working overtime trying to connect all the pieces together.
The biggest compliment I can give it is this:
Days after watching it, I was still thinking about it.
Weeks later, I was still talking about it.
And even now, certain scenes still pop into my head unexpectedly.
That's usually a sign you've watched something special.
I loved it, and there's a very good chance it belongs on my all-time favourites list.
Much like the film itself, this review has probably jumped around a bit.
The difference is Cloud Atlas knows exactly where it's going.
5/5
Cloud Atlas is one of those films that's incredibly difficult to describe without sounding like you've completely lost the plot.
From the mind of Andy Wachowski, this is an ambitious, unique and wonderfully bonkers film that might just deserve to sit alongside The Matrix as one of his greatest achievements.
At first, I'll admit, I struggled.
The film jumps between multiple stories, multiple timelines and multiple versions of the same actors. For the first twenty minutes, I felt like I was trying to watch six different films at the same time.
But then something clicks.
Instead of dreading the next jump, you start looking forward to it. Just as one story gets interesting, the film throws you somewhere completely different. Past, present, future... then back again. Before long, you find yourself completely invested in all of them.
The cast is excellent throughout, and half the fun is spotting who's playing who. Some transformations are so convincing that I genuinely didn't recognise certain actors until long after the credits rolled.
One thing that surprised me was the humour. There's some wonderfully British comedy sprinkled throughout the film, and it actually works. That's something American filmmakers don't always get right, but Cloud Atlas manages it beautifully.
What impressed me most was the sheer ambition of the whole thing.
Most films are happy telling one story.
Cloud Atlas looked at that idea and thought, "Why not tell six?"
And somehow it works.
It's emotional, funny, thought-provoking and occasionally leaves your brain working overtime trying to connect all the pieces together.
The biggest compliment I can give it is this:
Days after watching it, I was still thinking about it.
Weeks later, I was still talking about it.
And even now, certain scenes still pop into my head unexpectedly.
That's usually a sign you've watched something special.
I loved it, and there's a very good chance it belongs on my all-time favourites list.
Much like the film itself, this review has probably jumped around a bit.
The difference is Cloud Atlas knows exactly where it's going.
5/5
I really enjoyed Wreck It Ralph, it's fun, full of retro games and even a cameo from Zangief. Great film for Kids. 4/5
