Chris Reviews Cloud Atlas

I was very intrigued the first time I saw the trailer for the film and even more so when  I saw that the Wachowski's were putting it together. At the same time I was cautious because while the Wachowski's have made great films (The Matrix) they tend to be overly complex and ambitious, so much so that viewers get turned off. So I headed into Cloud Atlas cautiously optimistic, was it bloated and overly ambitious or was it a groundbreaking piece of cinema? Read below to find out.

The Good-

This is by far the most ambitious film of the year. Of course that was exactly what I was expecting but I really do think they pulled it off. While I was initially skeptical of the many simultaneous stories jumping back and forth, by the end of the film everything ties together in a very satisfying way. The visuals were at times breathtaking and imaginative and the score while not fantastic throughout does have one great theme that I have fallen in love with which furthers the emotional impact of the film. 

The Bad-

 While there is a lot to love about this film there is also a lot that many people will not like. The film is very densely packed with information that will likely overwhelm a viewer especially with its nearly 3 hours in length. The many stories bouncing back and forth will likely turn some people off as well. There are a few other complaints I had relating to how certain stories were resolved and some stylistic choices but that's about it. 

Summary-

Cloud Atlas is not a film for everyone and it may not be groundbreaking but if you love high concept and ambitious Science Fiction films than you will like this film. On the other hand if you think that it looks pretentious, confusing and boring than chances are you will think the same thing after seeing it. That being said I highly enjoyed this film and thought the 3 hours flew by and while it is not perfect it is definitely worth a watch!

MY RATING

3.5 out of 5

Chris "Da Franchize" Hart