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Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas

2012
Drama, Sci-fi
2h 52m
An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution
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Cloud Atlas

2012
Drama, Sci-fi
2h 52m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 54.35% from 5072 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(5072)
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Rated 15 Nov 2012
80
86th
Impressively ambitious, it aims to be a transcendent allegory; parallelisms ensure that the polyphonic tale adds up to something more. I found it a rewarding experience. What impressed me most was the editing. The cuts are meaningful rather than jarring, the pacing kept me entertained. The segments are vastly different (tonally and generically), connected by a common theme: For those who have the courage to set an example, it is, in a very real way, possible to send ripples forward through time.
Rated 26 Oct 2012
50
18th
Yes, it is ambitious. We get it. But many of its storylines are underdeveloped or feel uncompleted. The politics are quite naive. And uneven makeup job is extremely distracting. Doesn't really work as something more than a huge cross-cutting experiment. A disappointment for me.
Rated 15 Mar 2013
3
24th
I'm sure, I'd be crying out "masterpiece!". If I was 8 or 9.
Rated 22 Mar 2013
65
45th
Seems to aim for something really profound, or make us think it's doing so, while never really going beyond 'people influence people and also reincarnation might be a thing I guess'. Editing and music were impressive, most sets looked great and it was surprisingly enjoyable to switch between time periods. A shame the content never managed to wow me and the make-up was so goofy at times. Hugo Weaving dressed up as an imaginary Tim Burton-esque post-apocalyptic anger-goblin? Hoooly balls.
Rated 28 Oct 2012
90
90th
Cloud Atlas is a movie that demands multiple viewings and an open mind. Simply sit down and experience the movie and embrace what's perfect and flawed in the film. For me personally I found so much to enjoy in this movie that it's almost impossible to communicate the impact it had on me in the theater. All I can say is I'm going to watch it as many times as I can in the theater and that I completely agree with Roger Eberts review.
Rated 10 Nov 2012
80
67th
While there were moments where I was less entertained by certain parts of the narrative, all in all, I was interested in all of the six stories. I'm also a big fan of genre bending and tone shifting, and CA does that in spades. I thought the acting was solid, the music was beautiful, the visuals were gorgeous. Yes, it has that heavy-handedness that might turn off some but some movies have it, and some are more subtle, I appreciate both styles. It all comes together with an emotional payoff.
Rated 02 Nov 2012
72
79th
Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Cloud Atlas is tremendously entertaining. The 164 min run time felt like 90, tops. Not earth-shattering, but refreshingly philosophical. The film's six stories are wildly different in tone and substance, and I can't tell whether those drastic shifts were a weakness or a strength (probably both. It varied). It was sometimes shallow / heavy-handed, but all in all, I love me some nonlinear storytelling, and Cloud Atlas scratched that itch six times over.
Rated 11 Dec 2012
60
46th
I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it, even though I fully expected not to. The visuals were lush and enriching, and each story seemed to hold some sort of charm to it, though some stories (like the Neo-Seoul tale and the 1936 one) tended to be more potent than others. This was a highly ambitious movie to film, and it was done well and in a rewarding manner. The film felt heavy-handed and flawed, yet genuine and profound. All-in-all I liked it. Gorgeous soundtrack, by the way.
Rated 19 Nov 2012
95
98th
This movie is gorgeous and earnest and so wonderfully humanistic and loving that it's given me a new respect for the Wachowskis as both filmmakers and people. The thematic bridging of the stories and eras through countless little character moments and events was stellar, and done well enough that it made me at least a bit less uncomfortable with white people being cast in minority roles. I wish this film was more successful to encourage more risks on such ambitious filmmaking.
Rated 04 Feb 2013
9
93rd
Definitely will be a polarizing film but I found it highly entertaining and engaging. Considering it's long run time this was an accomplishment in and of itself. The casting agents and make up people deserve to be hired on movies until they die, very impressive. Visually you can't get much better and it got me excited to dive into the novels of David Mitchell. 2012's most overlooked accomplishment
Rated 28 Oct 2012
90
81st
It is difficult to form an opinion after one viewing as there is so much going on that it's hard to know what it is really about. It is a technical marvel and a huge feat of filmmaking. - After seeing it a second time I appreciate the film even more. It benefits from repeat viewings and is easier to follow, although two of the storylines are still weaker than the others. A stunning film with some flaws.
Rated 30 Dec 2012
80
88th
Highly ambitious project from Tykwer and the Wachowski's which turns out great in most of the almost 3 hour duration. Once the initial confusion of jumping back and forth between the different ages settles, you start to put together the pieces. And once it finishes you will sit back with a feeling that you have to watch it again since you most likely have missed something. Cloud Atlas will part waters. I know which side I'm on...
Rated 08 Apr 2013
30
3rd
A beautifully shot total pile of shit. Patronizing, stupid. To call it pretentious would imply it came close to achieving it's overly obvious and ham handed execution. To claim someone didn't 'get' it would be to imply they are borderline retarded as the movie beat it's message in over and over. It was as subtle as a smack in the face. Also, it has to be noted how terrible the acting was, particularly from tom hanks and halle berry.
Rated 25 Oct 2012
100
99th
Cloud Atlas is a wonderful film easily worth the time commitment. It tells six interesting stories that, in their own right, would be worth watching. Together, they create something magical, and the way they unfold is one of many reasons that this is, so far, the best theatrical release of the year. Adding in the gorgeous aesthetics, tight pacing, emotional peaks and valleys, strong acting and a wonderful score, and you have a film of a quality rarely seen coming from anyone or anywhere.
Rated 28 Oct 2012
100
99th
Ups and downs abound, destinies fulfilled, souls grow and stay the same over 600 years. It tells the story of an entire planet in such a personal way that you almost don't realize the "political" importance of their actions. You're just so engrossed in the different ways everybody searches/finds true love that it doesn't matter. It was visual, emotional, informational overload. Some people will want to shut off after 45 minutes of confusion. And some, like me, will bask in it. Music was awesome
Rated 14 Jan 2013
60
36th
I read a book called The Years of Rice and Salt, which is kind of similar to Cloud Atlas. It's about reincarnation, and the group that keeps on bumping into each other throughout lifetimes. The key difference is that The Years of Rice and Salt is told sequentially. We see that entire lifetimes are only incremental steps in a larger project to improve society. There is a similar idea found in the slavery/freedom narrative in Cloud Atlas, but it's presented in the form of a clusterfuck.
Rated 27 Oct 2012
80
88th
The basic premise of the movie being what you sow is what you reap, may be not in the current life but possibly in the future. The movie is visually brilliant and is well paced. The way they cut from one story to another is really well done. The story is complex but overall well adapted for the big screen. A must watch for one and all.
Rated 15 Mar 2013
55
40th
You want the true-true? Besides from the sheer presence of Halle Berry, cheesy morals, tacky lines and hilarious make-up (can't decide whether Weaving as a modern Nurse Ratched or Hanks as a wannabe-badass writer with an epic British accent is the most awkward fun), I actually liked most of it. Especially the editing, pacing and the glimpses of beauty here and there.
Rated 14 Nov 2012
100
90th
Absolutely brilliant; An outstanding, spectacular narrative. Mesmerizing & beautiful, Cloud Atlas is a home run that will take root in your heart.
Rated 28 Oct 2012
100
94th
If there is one thing the Wachowski's know how to do (along with Tom Tykwer), it is how to make a visually appealing movie: Cloud Atlas is one of the most gorgeous movies I've seen. With some amazing uses of make-up, the actors are able to take on multiple roles throughout the six expertly told inter-weaving stories. To top off the cinematic experience, the music is top notch. While not everyone's cup of tea, Cloud Atlas should be experienced once. The Wachowski's have their magnum opus.
Rated 06 Nov 2012
83
86th
There's no need to interpret this the same way as the book, or to take it as being solely about reincarnation or anything like that. This film works quite well as a call to action for the sake of the collective unconscious. In many ways, it is a self-conscious meta-fiction about media's role in shaping history. If one does view the story as one of reincarnation, there is no reason not to take it symbolically. I think many people are missing the mark in terms of understanding how this film works.
Rated 17 Nov 2012
40
11th
I would give points for ambition if only the film actually aspired to anything. The connections it makes are tenuous and the themes simplistic. Every individual story is short changed in one act or another, it features one character after another achieving little and pontificating much.
Rated 26 Dec 2012
6
26th
A strong feeling of déjà vu will overcome you as you relive old plots of sci-fi movies, spy flicks, and Twilight Zone episodes.
Rated 29 Dec 2012
68
40th
Surprisingly fast-paced w/ some decent stories, though the lack of any truly fantastic, grandly-unifying element was disappointing (w/o this, actors portraying multiple characters seems gimmicky & pretentious). Sci-fi sections were fairly pedestrian. Weaving's serpentine character was annoyingly unexplained. Treatments of politics & philosophy aren't particularly deep, but (excepting the voice-overs) managed not to detract much. The humor, while not terrible, does often feel out of place though.
Rated 29 Oct 2012
50
20th
This movie couldn't be more self-important. For all its grand visuals and opulent, magnificent scale, its gargantuan cast slathered and hidden under makeup and prosthestics, the Wachowskis and Tykwer never answer 'why.' I kept wondering what the 'why' was throughout this film, and none of the vignettes could provide a supreme-enough connection to twine the stories together. To what purpose is this film that is 'Crash' or 'Babel' on a biblical scale? Why so much to say so little?
Rated 20 Oct 2014
81
82nd
A kaleidoscopic story which you have to watch more than once to fully understand and appreciate it. This story is so complex due to all the little details, all the little events that influence on another that a second watch won't do any harm, but however this entanglement is so extreme and fast, the story is comprehensible and beautiful. A must see.
Rated 12 Jan 2013
54
40th
Didn't the Wachowskis already shoot this huge existential tale about chosen ones, authorities being questioned and sacrifices for freedom (and love) in The Matrix? And didn't Tykwer already make this intertwining collection of stories (or of versions of the truth) in Lola or Three? Cloud Atlas is highly enjoyable, but also a bloated attempt to visualize, let's say, the narrative of humankind.
Rated 28 Oct 2012
80
78th
I liked it. It never did anything to really move me (although you could tell it was trying) or to make me think it was a great movie but I was entertained throughout. That's a nice accomplishment considering the runtime.
Rated 26 Mar 2013
4
13th
The scope and look save this film from total oblivion, removing my concerns about the creative limitations of contemporary filmmaking. Yet, in its ambitious attempt of deviating from traditional narrative and aesthetic forms, CA somehow misplaces the thread that would've woven every story together with narrative clarity. I believe there's heart to be found in each of them, but the constant shift in timelines and moods left me feeling disoriented, indifferent and annoyed.
Rated 29 Oct 2012
85
90th
It took a while to grow on me, but once I was able to connect all its sprawling plots I was really struck by it and am surprised to say that it was intensely life-affirming. Its structure and reach is wildly ambitious, but it definitely has moments of great effectiveness and its themes on humanity put me in a mood of positive reflectiveness. It's long but moves fast, and worth-seeing alone for Bae Doona's stellar neo-Korean plotline.
Rated 05 May 2013
6
40th
Expansive, untidy effects extravaganza of New Ageish sentiment, keeps an interest for about three hours and stimulates the intellect, but there's little if any merit to all its grandiosity. Bold but juvenile.
Rated 21 Mar 2019
75
57th
A decent adaptation of a great book. Would be better served being a series - the base material is just too extensive to cover in a single feature film (even as lengthy one). Using only one actor for several roles, the astoundingly successful efforts (mainly due to great makeup and acting) notwithstanding, was overused and amounted to breaching the fourth wall on numerous occasions.
Rated 14 Jul 2013
81
82nd
My first reaction at the end of the movie was "ok now I know what's going on I want to watch it again". No masterpiece but no slouch either. Recommended.
Rated 10 Apr 2013
56
10th
An ambitious mess. I appreciate what it's trying to do narratively and thematically, and it's a very well photographed film, but it's a chore to watch. There's so much jumping around from story to story, sometimes with clear thematic links but often with seeming randomness, and the writing is all over the place, at times insanely dense at others ridiculously obvious and only occasionally somewhat subtle. I almost gave up on it at various points, but it improves some in the second half.
Rated 02 Feb 2015
72
18th
i think maybe at some very early stage of development, there was some genuine ambition attached to this project, which was promptly abandoned once the writers realized they couldn't tell six grand-scope stories in a single film. instead of sizing down, however, they opted for cramming as many big names, special effects and generically inspirational tumblr quotes into a 3 hour fiasco that apart from being dreadfully boring, failed to deliver on basic elements of plot.
Rated 27 Oct 2012
85
94th
I love you, Bae Doona
Rated 18 Jul 2013
80
84th
It's an epic, genre bending film that simultaneously tells six stories separated by a span of several centuries, with most of the actors playing different roles in each time period. The cast is really good (esp. Jim Broadbent and Tom Hanks), and the audacious ambitiousness of the project deserves to be lauded even if parts of the script come across as a little hokey. There's enough ideas, action and impressive visual compositions to consistently entertain for almost 3 hours.
Rated 28 Oct 2013
70
79th
Daring piece of film making makes this watchable on a level of art if nothing else. It ultimately fails to become a great movie, but it is a good one. It doesn't feel like it is 3 hours long. Although the jumps can be jarring, the cast holds it together rather well.
Rated 09 Dec 2012
82
78th
A movie trying to comprehend an effect known as deja-vu, and partially succeeding at that. Individual stories aren't really ideal in their own (lots of plot holes, etc.), but the way they are stitched together to form a (seemingly unique and single) movie in a way that's fresh and grabbing, is remarkable! The three hours basically just fly past you. Also - movie's suitable for those people that regularly don't watch Sci-Fi.
Rated 17 Nov 2012
84
95th
the way this is structured is genius. also brilliantly performed.
Rated 24 Feb 2013
70
17th
Yuck. This film is outstanding on a visual level (costumes, set design, makeup, effects) and has an intricate, supposedly intellectual or deep story. But despite all that, I realised 45 minutes in that I simply wasn't invested - or interested - in any of the characters or their 6 timelines. Where there should be concrete plot details there is just smoke and mirrors, vagueness and elision. Don't even get me started on that "stunt casting" - what a distracting gimmick. Not for me, this Oscar-turd.
Rated 23 Feb 2015
82
85th
Definitely flawed, but it was so ambitious it gets a lot of credit for trying. Some of the makeup was stellar, some of it not so much. Some of the performances are a little dodgy, but overall the film succeeds and is truly epic in scope and delivery
Rated 02 Jan 2018
100
95th
The incredibly complex and diverse novel by David Mitchell gets a truly powerful adaptation from the three directors. It will polarize due to the enormous size of the ideas and story lines. Those who dislike the film will have every right to do so. Cloud Atlas has all the makings of an eventual cult film that will be re-examined as a sweeping character study and Sci-Fi epic classic for the ages to remember.
Rated 27 Mar 2014
88
86th
Works very well. The beginning of the story is a bit predictable, but as they take off and begin leaping and crossing, the great structure becomes more than the individual parts - obviously, right? Manages to sell the links between eras, and each story manages to both feel complete and contribute to everything else.
Rated 29 Apr 2014
3
30th
undoubtedly extremely impressive visuals and general construction, but it's all a bit too silly for me. huge props to the editors; no props to the scripters. i mean, its political philosophy really is ridiculous, not to mention ruthlessly condescending in that all too familiar progressive way, and generally becomes almost unbearable by the end. i found it especially amusing that amongst all its themes of love and interconnectedness was a battle cry for vengeance. nonetheless, it was gripping.
Rated 16 Nov 2012
95
91st
Breathtaking, beautiful, sad, hopeful, enigmatic, romantic, creative, ambitious, stunning, and transcending.
Rated 13 Apr 2013
40
1st
This film suffers from the Wachowskis' choice of replacing the palindromic structure of the book with a constantly cross-cutting narrative, which never gives you a chance to invest with the storylines. The use of the same actors in multiple roles to emphasise our common humanity is also a failure, and when combined with the terrible prosthetics is just laughable. The acting is very patchy, the tone uneven, and it's as subtle as a sledgehammer in its message.
Rated 25 Feb 2013
91
83rd
Cloud Atlas takes a concept as difficult to film as can be imagined - a look at the effects of revenge and freedom have on disparate generations spanning hundreds of years, a subject as sprawling and vast as the entirety of humanity. And somehow it delivers a three-hour movie on the subject that simultaneously thoroughly entertains and delivers a fantastically thought-provoking treatise on human connection, right up there with The Tree of Life. A definite win.
Rated 30 Jun 2013
65
71st
Though I was unable to finish the novel, and despite having a young-adult-fiction, transcend-all-boundaries, triumph-of-the-oppressed, slightly heavy-handed air about it, nevertheless this combines music, imagery, costume and makeup in an indubitably very impressive way to tell a story that should appeal to young-adult, boundary-transcending, oppressed types, and possibly some others. Coincidentally viewed directly after SNAKES ON A PLANE, in which the dog also dies.
Rated 21 Oct 2013
80
87th
I really liked the stories and how they connected; it was very interesting to watch. I like the courage they had to make a very ambitious project like this one.
Rated 16 Nov 2012
76
49th
Banal and beautiful.
Rated 30 Jan 2013
52
52nd
Tom Hanks is the fluffiest cloud.
Rated 13 Mar 2013
75
71st
It's an ambitious film but i'm afraid the material is just too dense for a standalone film. Maybe the problem is that the Wachowskis have reached their creative upper limit and can't abridge a complex philosophical story into something that feels natural without it becoming a stylistic and narrative mess. They absolutely needed a better make up department because some of the ethnic switches were goofy looking. It's hard to hate this attempt though especially with several view worthy scenes.
Rated 08 Aug 2014
3
73rd
Familiar -and particularly unsubtle this time- W. sibling themes. Early it seemed an attempt at a sci-fi 1001 nights. I had my drink on so couldn't really tell if the eternal recurrence/karma/destiny/samsara stuff added up -suspect it didn't. Surprisingly the final act became melodramatic comedy. Still, it looked and sounded really good, an enjoyable ride.
Rated 27 Oct 2012
25
61st
"Its ideas are paralleled, its themes twinned, sometimes breathlessly, sometimes fatuously, into what may be described as a 164-minute pop song of seemingly infinite verses, choruses, and bridges. Perhaps expectedly, it soars as often as it thuds." - Ed Gonzalez
Rated 04 Dec 2013
10
2nd
So bad
Rated 07 Oct 2014
9
95th
Remarkable cinematography. The plot is not that special, but the Wachowski siblings managed to somehow make the movie special. The rapid fire transitions between the scenes and plotlines make this a unique experience, and the three hour length of the movie is barely bothersome. The end credits are a total mindfuck, as you are shown what improbable role each actor played, and end up in awe at the quality of the transformations and the variety of their acting skills. Almost a masterpiece.
Rated 01 Nov 2012
83
84th
Could someone please explain to me how this movie is "pretentious"? Yes the story is complex, and hard to follow time to time; and yes, there is a lot of free will, determinism, theology shit going on, but if it was pretentious, we would probably leave theater with empty symbols, metaphors and stupid, meaningless images. It needs a second viewing, please watch it again in a few years.
Rated 09 Feb 2013
85
71st
,,Nigdy nie przyszlo Ci do glowy ze wszechswiat jest Twoim wrogiem?'' Co moge powiedziec, polecam ta podroz po Atlasie Chmur.
Rated 26 Dec 2012
70
76th
It took a long time to grab me, but when it did, I really started to enjoy it. Besides some stunning visuals (like Neo-Seoul), it has an intriguing philosophical story line. For now I'll file this as a low T9, but I like to re-watch it for sure some time later on. Don't understand some of the low rankings here, maybe they have the attention span of a chicken.
Rated 28 Jan 2013
85
81st
The quick-cut editing of six connected stories - each of a different genre - as well as the incredible music and visuals, are what make this 3-hour ambitious film so entertaining. It's the timeless message of progress and the spread of ideas through civilization that make it so enduring. The criticism against the make-up is more distracting than the make-up itself; the story is meant to transcend gender and racial boundaries.
Rated 27 Aug 2013
75
77th
Based on the bloated 7 minute trailer I expected a cluster-fuck of epic proportions, so color me dumbstruck at how coherent and enjoyable this turned out. It's musings on the human condition may be a bit on the fluffy side, and the (novel but ultimately misjudged) use of makeup ranges from "That's quite funny" to "Blackface!" but none the less I was entertained throughout.
Rated 18 Sep 2013
83
70th
a movie to cherish the love, truth and humanity.
Rated 09 Feb 2017
90
97th
Great epic beyond time. Insane effort by the actors and a complex story line; still I could follow every subplot very well and there were almost no filler scenes, as it cuts to a different time when a point has been made.
Rated 02 Jan 2013
70
52nd
Three-hour messy mash-up of 6 interlocking stories joined by a kind of pan-religious liberation theology. I haven't read the book but it seems an awful lot like Kim Stanley Robinson's The Years of Rice and Salt. The movie emphasizes the metaphysical over the material, however, which means I liked it a lot less. Most of the actors, except for Broadbent - who seems to be in a different movie - and sometimes Bae, come off as rather silly.
Rated 30 Jun 2013
93
97th
It s fascinating that a movie with that many potlines kept me interested throughout the whole film. The last hour is pure brilliance.
Rated 19 Nov 2012
8
0th
Count me in the camp that cannot make sense of this movie whatsoever. The premise that "everything is connected" is an utter sham - these are 6 short films that are extremely weak stories on their own, and bear no connection or effect on each other, other than happening to feature the same actors with at times god-awful makeup, and the occasional isolated deja vu "I feel like I know you from somewhere" remark. And it lasts for THREE solid hours.
Rated 20 Jan 2013
86
88th
One of the greatest ideas for a movie plus very good scenario. Every story could make different film. Which would be something definitely big.
Rated 22 Jun 2014
50
42nd
I liked the future Korea and the Retirement home parts of the movie, the 70's thriller and Cast Away segments was meh and holy balls did I fall asleep for the other two. Simple messages: "Slaves/Gays/Reporters/Old People/Clones/Tom Hanks speaking pidgin are people too!!" Cloud Atlas? More like Cloud Agenda. But yeah I really like Korea cause it's a bunch of sci-fi cliches in one package and the retirement home comedy was good. Fuck the rest.
Rated 03 Jun 2013
60
27th
I was expecting everything to come together for some big WOW moment at the end that never really happened. The effort I had to put in to keep all of the threads straight in my own head felt ultimately wasted. None of the six stories were spectacularly compelling by themselves, and shuffling them together and calling them connected didn't really do anything for me. And yes, I understand the movie perfectly: souls reincarnating across time blah blah, little man vs. the status quo hurf durf
Rated 07 Dec 2019
100
97th
Impactful stories often take existential concerns about the past or future and present them as great allegories. This picture does that, all while bouncing between historical drama and dystopian sci-fi. The Wachowskis continue a thematic trend of characters escaping the confines of their bodies, but expand it by illustrating the interconnectedness of all struggles against dehumanization. And technically it's their most stunning film yet--especially in the editing and special fx. A classic.
Rated 24 Dec 2012
93
99th
The book was amazing, the movie did the best it could. I would have gladly watched a 9hr version in order to get everything from the book into the movie. Look beyond makeup and vernacular and you will see the masterpiece.
Rated 30 Jun 2013
80
79th
Intrigued by many of the sub stories, impressed with Hugo weaving's many characters and satiated with the make-up.
Rated 29 May 2015
100
91st
This is an almost unbelievably brilliant cinematic achievement. By that I mean I almost can't believe that they managed to translate such a complex combination of stories into a film and have it turn out so perfectly. Like all of the greatest works of art, it will not only entertain but will inspire people to change the way they live. It has a few weak spots (Tom Hanks as a cockney ruffian doesn't quite jive), but they aren't important enough to cause me to lower my ranking of the film.
Rated 28 Oct 2012
82
58th
Great in length and scope, CLOUD ATLAS is a mightily impressive film in many ways: the production design, makeup, and editing are excellent, and the large cast all do fine work, leaping across the boundaries of space, time, gender, and race. And, despite a few blunt moments, the film is refreshingly restrained--but, ultimately, at the cost of the emotional punch it may have sought. Still, it's constantly engaging throughout, with the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer distinguishing themselves.
Rated 29 Oct 2012
40
15th
Six barely connected storylines wallow in mediocrity and come together in an epic 3 hour magnum opus of boredom.
Rated 15 Mar 2013
1
4th
i need a fucking drink.
Rated 27 May 2013
83
56th
It's not profound like it pretends to be, but it is not ponderous either. It is well-acted, exciting, big-hearted, and is filled with enough action and excitement to juggle six plots for three hours and still keep the viewer's interest.
Rated 27 Sep 2013
3
11th
Three hours of amazing raceface!
Rated 27 Sep 2013
40
56th
Doona Bae is a shoo-in for a starring role in White Chicks 2.
Rated 06 Sep 2016
55
73rd
While watching, I found myself drifting to the ideas of Dada and the compulsion of humans to construct a narrative for everything that we watch, even when knowingly watching something that deliberately doesn't have one. The "past and future lives influence each other" is one of the messages of the film, and the editing style tries to demonstrate that message by using that narrative constructing compulsion to let us see these hidden influences between stories. But is it actually happening?
Rated 27 Oct 2012
4
43rd
I found myself envying my screening's many walkouts by the time this thing finally groaned to its laborious conclusion. Of the six stories, the only one that's particularly enjoyable is the Jim Broadbent publisher one. Other than that, just hope you can enjoy the cinematography and crazy makeup they stick the actors in, because man is it a struggle to enjoy anything else.
Rated 29 Oct 2012
73
56th
There are a lot of good ideas, the acting is very solid and there are quite a few very impressive setpieces. However, I didn't much care for the editing as the massive number of cuts between story lines meant I kept losing interest and there were a number of scenes where I thought "that doesn't need to be here". I left confused as to what it was trying to accomplish with the reincarnation theme, but that may be the cinema's fault. I was so uncomfortable for the last hour I just wanted to go home
Rated 19 May 2018
100
99th
Favorite movie
Rated 16 May 2022
5
25th
Its central conceit ("From womb to tomb, we are bound to others. Past and present") and thesis ("by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future") resonate, but marring the former's clever edits and easter eggs are some discomforting cross-racial transformations and one can't help but wonder if the thrust of the latter would've been stronger with a chronological narrative. As it is, some stories sit better than others (Ewing's white saviour arc underwhelms; Cavendish's caper is a hoot).
Rated 07 Jul 2019
54
40th
First off this movie is way too long like 60 minutes too long for the story it's telling. The acting is really good, the world building is decent, the effects are okay even with the iffy make-up effects. But the story is a rambling nearly incoherent mess that limps along to its all to obvious conclusion that failed to satisfy.
Rated 29 Apr 2013
70
80th
It's the first film that reminded me of how some of my better dreams tend to work. Lots of cool costumes, set pieces and Keith Davids. It is flawed but in the same ways a dream would be flawed (this movie doesn't really have anything to do with dreams but I feel it works better when viewed as somebodies nighttime journeys spewed out with perfect accuracy onto the screen).
Rated 21 Dec 2012
65
53rd
Sometimes ponderous, but often pretty fascinating. A minimum of two viewings is probably essential, so I reserve the right to alter my grade once I catch this again. What I got from it was that it's a compendium of cool-looking filmed short stories, all from wildly disparate genres, all bleeding in and out of each other and obliquely referencing each other, just like all our stories--all our lives--tend to do. I liked it. Another viewing, and I might love it.
Rated 17 Feb 2013
60
47th
I watched it when released and wasn't fully satisfied by it. After watching Sense8 and thinking about the links in their intention I gave it a second chance. Still not enough, I see this adaptation like an unfulfilled idea that wasn't fully achieved for me until Sense8, when they really used their own story and made you deeply empathize with the characters. I appreciate the effort in Cloud Atlas and it could probably work for many, but it didn't that much for me. Sense8 did.
Rated 23 Mar 2013
85
87th
I guess I liked it. A lot
Rated 19 Nov 2016
70
81st
The 3 hours aren't even felt. As I was watching I was thinking that the editing was all over the place, but on second thought, the stories are blending into each other quite smoothly. Some great acting, questionable makeups, inconsistent tone (the Jim Broadbent-centric story), but nevertheless huge admiration for the scale of this ambitious project and the love and passion that are obviously shining from it. A wonderful achievement still. Kudos to the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer! Solid soundtrack.
Rated 05 Nov 2012
71
64th
I enjoyed this quite a bit more than I thought I would. I'm typically one to appreciate a big budget movie that takes a lot of risks, even if they don't all pay off. It's a bit heavy-handed in its themes (do they need to actually say "We are all connected" 10 times?). However, there's really a lot to get out of it and I'm looking forward to spending another 3 hours with it on DVD. Edit: on second viewing, I've had to downgrade a bit because the blemishes really do show.
Rated 13 Jan 2013
82
86th
A beautiful movie with a powerful message. Yes, it can be a little confusing, but do not let this stop you. When the end comes, you are in tears. You feel important, even when you know you're only a drop in the ocean. The music is also great.
Rated 16 Jan 2013
75
50th
Some of the gimmickry works; some of it just seems gimmicky. There are moments where Tom Hanks is great; there are moments when you just feel bad for him. There are scenes of breathtaking beauty, and there are scenes you swear you've seen after having too many Bagel Bites in some drive-in movie unheard of by anyone except and starring Rutger Hauer with Roddy Piper. Which is all to say that it's both likable and hateable, and whether you will come down on one side or the other is tough
Rated 30 Jun 2013
65
42nd
Not the horrible mess I was expecting. Surprisingly lovely and coherent, mostly down to great editing and use of music.
Rated 08 Jan 2014
40
32nd
Visually stunning, but intellectually half witted. The story is an complicated jumble of very high quality cut scenes held together by a thin premise. The damnable editing ruins every scene, making it some of the most pathetic story telling ever ventured. But, it is also some of the best quality film production around. I absolutely loved every scene, almost as much as I hated that nothing made sense. The overarching message is good, but it is an utterly ridiculous way to present it.
Rated 18 Aug 2014
82
98th
Cloud Atlas is a great film. It employs the gimmick of using the same actors in different roles to highlight its theme of reincarnation, while simultaneously presenting six tales that will make you laugh, cry and squeam. The acting is great all round, as is the make-up, costumes and score. The 3 hour runtime is barely noticeable as Tykwer and the Wachowskis have crafted a film that is not only spectacular but re-watchable; whether you watch it to play spot the actor or simply to experience it.
Rated 13 Jan 2015
78
71st
I missed something. Maybe the book made things more understandable, but I got lost in transition from one story to the next. I understand that they were all related, but if there was a plot... Still, a good film. Thought-provoking. Dare I say it: a return to form for the Wachowski "brothers"?
Rated 10 Jun 2015
85
67th
Superb soundtrack, great playing, funny yet profound. This movie is huge. But you must be in the right mood. It is VERY long. I clearly remember that when I watched it in theatre, my first reaction at the end has been "Well, I liked it, but there is enough material to split this movie in two parts". Years later I've changed my mind. The whole movie is about connections, that is the concept. Sometimes the most important things in art is to keep consistency. This movie deserved to be one piece.
Rated 07 Nov 2017
80
74th
The Wachowski's have always had vision, I'll give them that. They can also create a hell of a sci-fi universe on a grand scale, but something always goes a little bit funny with it. It never really plays out the way it should. "Cloud Atlas" was the closest they came to something majestic and awesome, but it's a convoluted bloated sci-fi movie with parts that are downright annoying, and that the true true.

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