Cloud Atlas

Watched this movie Friday night.  It is almost three hours in length.  The first 45 minutes were bewildering.  Then, slowly, a pattern emerges and the viewer begins to make sense of what is happening.
It is historical, it is sci fi, it is adventure, drama, romance, comedy all wrapped into one.  But mostly this is a philosophical tale of karma.  You know?  Don't do good, know better, do better next time.

Tom Hanks is at his best, Jim Broadbent is just great and Hugh Grant, surprising.  Other major players are Halle Berry and Ben Whishaw.  Each primary character plays several roles in the story, in fact,  here is a map of each character played by the cast.  You can see why it takes a good half hour to figure out what is going on.

At the end of the viewing both V. and I were cautiously appreciative.  I'm still wondering how much I liked it.  I certainly appreciated the getaway scene featuring four old timers breaking out of a senior citizens' home. The jocularity of this scene,  so typically British is short lived and most of the movie rotates around the premise that people are evolving towards "goodness" over time.

Interesting, if not for the confusing plot, then certainly for the fantastic makeup jobs on the lead actors.  The first time I spotted Hugh Grant, I couldn't quite place him.  I completely didn't catch Halle Berry in two of her roles but hey, Tom Hanks IS Tom Hanks, he plays a wonderfully gruesome doctor at the beginning of the movie.

I give this movie 3.5 stars out of 5.

Bonsoir,

Stella