Celebrated novel by British author David Mitchell, often described as "unfilmable" by the Mitchell himself, served as a basis for one of the most ambitiuous films of early 2010s. The project, often described as the most expensive independent film in history, gathered some impressive talents – directors like Tom Tikwer (known for Run, Lola, Run) and Wachowskys (known for The Matrix) and top Hollywood stars like Tom Hanks and Hale Berry. The complex plot is set in six different time eras – from mid 19th Century till distant post-apocalyptic future – and each of the stories, which are connected, tell a story about the quest for freedom. The directors use this as an opportunity to employ six different styles in their film – a Spielbergian adventure, Merchant-Ivory period drama, 1970s political thriller, modern-day English black comedy and dystopian visions of future. Unfortunately, another of their choices, that might have looked "clever" on paper, didn't produced good results. All major actors in the film appear in all six segments playing different characters , which often results in ridicoulous and unconvincig make up. Because of that Cloud Atlas instead of becoming a classic looks too "artsy" and pretentious even for audience accustomed to "deeper" content in the films.
RATING: 6/10