Read Mixed User Reviews for Cloud Atlas

6

EDGECRUSHERJul 21, 2013

I wanted this movie to have more, and I waited until the credits, disappointed. The idea is smart, but I felt that it just needed a better edit (maybe a year or two from now?) that would make it more seamless and the ideas presented stronger.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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6

Jay_ShermanApr 4, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Cloud Atlas is a hot mess. There is about half a good movie here. The themes presented are relevant: love, dignity, freedom. Unfortunately they are sometimes presented in such a way as to seem trite or even cliched. There are also some strange and baffling elements that just don't work.

I'm also going to get this out of the way right now: I was not a fan of the use of yellowface and whiteface on non-Asian and non-Caucasian actors, but not for the politically correct reasons a lot of people were. I didn't feel that the characterizations were racist or offensive. My main problem was that with a few exceptions, it looked really unconvincing.

Of the six stories, I was most fond of the tale of Sonmi-451 (Neo Seoul, 2144). Her story was dark and tragic yet hopeful at the same time. The world she inhabits is a glitzy dystopia built upon the worst excesses of contemporary corporate culture. Of all the sequences, this one and the story of Robert Frobisher (Cambridge and Edinburgh, 1936) would have made enjoyable full-length films in their own right.

I liked the sequence set in the UK, 2012, starring Jim Broadbent as Timothy Cavendish in what was essentially a dark comedy vignette about an aging publisher and his gangster client (Tom Hanks). Even a throwaway joke about soylent green being people actually relates to a disturbing element in the Neo Seoul sequence.

The story set in the South Pacific in 1849 about a young lawyer who falls sick during a voyage and is under the care of a doctor who it emerges is poisoning him in order to steal his belongings but is saved by a runaway slave fell flat. Tom Hanks as Doctor Goose had a false nose and prosthetic buck teeth which made him look like a character from League of Gentlemen (the British comedy series, not the crappy adaptation of a good Alan Moore comic book). Predictably the lawyer, who is helping the slave by hiding him and then later gets him work as a sailor on the ship, become friends. When the lawyer returns home he declares to his slave-owning father-in-law that he and his wife will go east to aid with the abolition efforts. It should be powerful but it just feels cliched and somewhat cheesy.

I don't have too much to say about the sequence in which Halle Berry plays the main role. It was neither good nor bad and felt like an homage to movies of the era in which it was set, namely the early 1970s, featuring a tough, independent black journalist whistle-blower uncovering a conspiracy at a nuclear power plant run by an unscrupulous business man. Taken on its own, it could have made a rather average thriller with a few good moments of tension.

The sequence set on a post-apocalyptic Hawaii in the year 2321, just stank. It reminded me of Battlefield Earth, but with better production values and no use of dutch angles that I can remember. Tom Hanks plays a superstitious coward belonging to a tribe of people with vaguely Maori-like tattoos on their faces. He is plagued by hallucinations of Hugo Weaving as a character that can best be described as a goblin with a top hat, who I think is supposed to represent his fear and religious hang-ups. Tom Hanks' people live in constant fear of cannibals on horseback with fearsome facepaint. Halle Berry plays a character from some nice,shiny utopia where they have pretty, shiny vehicles and fusion power. She's on the island looking for some ancient secret which she tells Tom Hanks is "The true true." or some such childish baby-talk. It's all very confusing and stupid and ends with Tom Hanks and Halle Berry living happily ever after on some distant planet with two dozen grandchildren sitting around a campfire listening to Grampy Tom Hanks tell stories.

I haven't read the book, so I can't really compare it the source material. The principal cast appears throughout the movie in multiple roles because they're reincarnations of characters from earlier time periods, but it's not presented in chronological order. Some of it is intriguing. Some of it is hard to care about. Other parts are just plain weird and not always in a good or compelling way.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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6

worleyjamersApr 27, 2013

Ambitious, featuring six stories all set in various time periods. Often times with a film like this, there is always that one storyline that is just not as good, or in the case of Cloud Atlas, 2 or 3 storylines that fail to compare to theAmbitious, featuring six stories all set in various time periods. Often times with a film like this, there is always that one storyline that is just not as good, or in the case of Cloud Atlas, 2 or 3 storylines that fail to compare to the others. That's really the main problem I had with this film, the performances, music, and visuals are all top notch, but not all the stories were that engaging, diluting the effectiveness of the major themes. I still really enjoyed the film. My favorite parts were set in Korea and the 1970s.… Expand

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

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6

TVJerryOct 30, 2012

This multi-level film is based on the novel of the same name, which interweaves 6 stories from various time periods with actors playing multiple characters. This means elaborate makeup, as they cast Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and other castThis multi-level film is based on the novel of the same name, which interweaves 6 stories from various time periods with actors playing multiple characters. This means elaborate makeup, as they cast Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and other cast members in as many as 6 roles. The messages of universal continuity and connectedness are hammered home as the drama and action unfolds. While it's realized with masterful skill by the Wachowskis (best known for the "Matrix" series) and Tom Tykwer ("Run Lola Run"), the slow-moving stories take up almost 3 hours. Visually, it's often spectacular (despite the sometimes embarrassing makeup), but as entertainment or inspiration it gets downright tedious.… Expand

7 of 12 users found this helpful75

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5

AxeFishMar 10, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This was certainly a rather....unique movie. I have neither read or heard of the book before, nor this I really know what the movie was going to be about. I was in for a mixed surprise. I really liked the concept of there being multiple stories within multiple time periods and the transitions between them are seamless. However (at least in the movie) these stories seem to be connected rather loosely. The only thing you get to see is how these individual stories are being transferred. (For example the first guy writes a diary which is read by someone in the next time period. That guy writes letters to his lover about his story and so on and so forth.) At first I though that if this is the only way these stories are connected, that's kind of lazy. But then came the credits in which you could see which actor played whom. This is probably the most revealing part of the movie, which now that i think about it is actually rather amusing. Still, i decided to do some research about the story to get some explanations about things that I might have missed. And so i found out that this movie was supposed to be about reincarnation throughout time periods. This makes sense after seeing the credits, but it's not really explained throughout a movie. As a movie, this kind of fails because important things that might have been explained better in the book are not really to be seen in this movie. However as an experience, this certainly was interesting. Do some research before you watch this movie. You'll certainly be enjoying it more afterwards.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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5

ClariseSamuelsJun 9, 2013

A confusing morass of six story lines and a seventh that serves as epilogue and prologue--this film gives new meaning to the question, “What just happened?” A cast of eloquent and well-known actors plays multiple roles where in some casesA confusing morass of six story lines and a seventh that serves as epilogue and prologue--this film gives new meaning to the question, “What just happened?” A cast of eloquent and well-known actors plays multiple roles where in some cases they are virtually unrecognizable. The most outrageous include Hugh Grant as a tribal chieftain who is a confirmed cannibal, and Tom Hanks as a murderous physician from 1849 as well as a frustrated and equally murderous 2012 book author who kills his harshest critic at a party by throwing the arrogant and presumptuous cad over the balcony. Hanks is also a father figure in a primitive clan in 2346 Hawaii, although there he is highly recognizable, even though he is speaking a barely comprehensible pigeon English that can only be described as Hillbilly Jive. (To say “that's the truth” is “that's the true-true.”) Strangely enough, Hanks lapses into standard English in a few instances where he has to explain an important plot point. Subtitles would have been beneficial.

The film changes geographical locations and time periods, as it ricochets between 1) 1849 South Pacific; 2) 1936 Scotland; 3) 1973 San Francisco; 4) 2012 Great Britain where actor Jim Broadbent is kept prisoner in a nursing home; 5) 2144 Neo Seoul (somewhere around old Seoul); 6) 2346 Hawaii; and 7) the frame story provided by the prologue and epilogue taking place about 30-40 years after 2346 Hawaii on a planet colonized by humans.

Presumably the movie is about people finding their true inner selves, setting off on the path of that which is good, true and beautiful, and establishing a humanistic, worldwide faith where a divinity does not figure into it, except in the primitive society in 2346 Hawaii, where they falsely worship the little Korean girl from 2144 Neo Seoul, a clone who fought bravely against corporate consumer predators, and who was part of a workforce consisting of an army of clones, robotlike employees who worked 19-hour days for a certain amount of time, and were then murdered, recycled and fed back to the other clones as a protein drink, the only nourishment they were allowed. The resistance army for which the clone was a kind of Joan of Arc was called The Union. The clone, played by Korean actress Doona Bae, is the connective thread, while Halle Berry and Tom Hanks also provide secondary connective threads, to the extent that anything really connects in this movie.

The philosophy of the film seems to be about incarnation and reincarnation, and how we are all a part of something much larger than ourselves, somehow reaching out to ancestors and descendents, on some subliminal level of consciousness that connects everyone and everything to everything else, and that has to do with the stars and outer space, with no mention of God, apparently because there are too many atheists who go to movie theaters.

A noble effort that somehow went awry with too much sophomoric philosophy and too much amateurish make-up.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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4

ThegodfathersonMay 19, 2013

As if Speed Racer wasn’t enough, the Wachowskis were able to convince Warner to fork over hundreds of millions of dollars to embark upon the mission of Cloud Atlas, an impossibly ambitious adaptation of David Mitchell’s novel that spansAs if Speed Racer wasn’t enough, the Wachowskis were able to convince Warner to fork over hundreds of millions of dollars to embark upon the mission of Cloud Atlas, an impossibly ambitious adaptation of David Mitchell’s novel that spans space, time, and all varieties of viewer patience. Any film that focuses on cyborgs and spacecraft will appeal to a certain sci-fi demographic, but Cloud Atlas is ironically enough all over the map, just as interested in secret early 20th century gay affairs as it is in robotic ethics. It’s fascinating to watch simply because the Wachowskis (along with co-director Tom Tykwer) swing so wide they can’t possibly pull it off. Enlisting A-listers like Tom Hanks and Halle Berry to play multiple parts some of which involve Cro-Magnon growling and grunting and putting their effects team to work with gusto, Cloud Atlas quickly becomes fascinatingly big for its britches. This is kitchen-sink filmmaking at its most audacious: it can’t be argued that Cloud Atlas goes out of its way to do everything it can to connect with those tolerant enough to stomach it. There are cavemen and Farrah Fawcett-Majors haircuts, futuristic automatons with delusions of grandeur, gruff musicians and the suicidal boys who love them, airplane explosions, ultra-vivid car crashes again, Cloud Atlas has a lot of dramatic real estate to offer. Yet while its vastly ambitious intentions of representing the implicit entropy of the universe are uniquely inventive, the whole thing feels like an expensive, convoluted mess. But sometimes grandiose missteps like Cloud Atlas end up being ingenious time wasters. On Blu-ray, experiencing the Wachowski/Tykwer vision frequently prompts viewers to ask themselves, ‘Who green-lit this?’ Any movie with Tom Hanks’ name above the title is bound to sell a ticket or two, but fantasizing about Warner brass seeing the final print of this kaleidoscopic rubbish is too delicious to resist. Let’s leave it at this: Cloud Atlas is a mess, but few movies from 2012 were this jaw-droppingly stupefying.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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6

Jones21Apr 27, 2013

This movie is one of the most polarizing movies right now. It's basically like Animatrix with 6 mini stories that's related to each other. The environments for each timeline is appropriate, the standouts being the 5th and 6th story whichThis movie is one of the most polarizing movies right now. It's basically like Animatrix with 6 mini stories that's related to each other. The environments for each timeline is appropriate, the standouts being the 5th and 6th story which takes place in the future with awesome futuristic technology that I soooo want to have. One problem though, this movie is a complete mess. It regularly jumps all over the place from the past to the future then to the past again that I can't think of any other thing to say but "what the hell does this movie want to be?" Every timeline has different themes to them. First and second story is drama movie, 3rd is suspense thriller, 4th is a comedy, the 5th and 6th story in the future is all action. The movie jumps back and forth between all the stories that it's just a complete mess. I tries to link them together by having the themes when it jumps similar, eg: a battle in the 6th jumps to a battle in the 3rd, but in all honesty it's completely unnecessary. The theme of the story is the first story leading to the next will influence the actions of each story's main characters, and that's it. It's better to just play it in order from the first to the last story like Animatrix or some other short movie compilations so it's easy to follow and fun to enjoy. Maybe one day someone on Youtube will do that, I'm looking forward to seeing these stories in order so it'll be more enjoyable to follow.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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5

oliver1hDec 16, 2012

The movie was nothing special. It was 40 minutes longer than it supposed to be. The stories (and the story as a whole) was cliché ridden and very predictable. The "meaning" or "message" of the movie could be told in 20 minutes. I didThe movie was nothing special. It was 40 minutes longer than it supposed to be. The stories (and the story as a whole) was cliché ridden and very predictable. The "meaning" or "message" of the movie could be told in 20 minutes. I did not like how the directors cast their actors to different sexes, races. I think it was very distracting at some points. I did not like that some stories were too "funny" (retirement home storyline) and some stories were very dark in tone (Neo-Seoul storyline). I didn't feel the stories were coherent enough. Maybe with less directors it could have been a better movie. Overall average.… Expand

10 of 22 users found this helpful1012

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4

MANDRiLDec 21, 2012

It tries too hard to tell 6 stories that simply are not interesting either independently or related to one another.
Some of the make-ups were just atrocious.

8 of 18 users found this helpful810

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6

BKMJun 18, 2013

Cloud Atlas is a daring film that juggles multiple story lines strewn across different time periods while wrestling with the notion that all mankind is bound to one another across space and time. It's never dull, but it never quite enthrallsCloud Atlas is a daring film that juggles multiple story lines strewn across different time periods while wrestling with the notion that all mankind is bound to one another across space and time. It's never dull, but it never quite enthralls either. The stories never really feel connected to each other which is the film's ultimate downfall.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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4

natmazzNov 28, 2012

I was so excited to see this film and i ended up being pretty disappointed. I think it was a good idea but executed entirely wrong. I will give a nod to the actors, it was not their performance that ruined it for me but the storyline was justI was so excited to see this film and i ended up being pretty disappointed. I think it was a good idea but executed entirely wrong. I will give a nod to the actors, it was not their performance that ruined it for me but the storyline was just plain confusing. It kept jumping from era to era and with the same actors playing mainly different roles I had trouble remembering what story I was in. I would suggest seeing it but prepare to be fully confused for the 20 minutes and then slightly confused for the rest. I think it takes a certain kind of person to like this movie. It just wasn't my cup of tea.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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5

mariopingNov 27, 2012

Cloud Atlas -- I don't get it. While I was mesmerized by many breathtaking scenes and actor's playing different roles, I just didn't get the point of the whole story. None of the stories made me care. I found myself trying to figure out whichCloud Atlas -- I don't get it. While I was mesmerized by many breathtaking scenes and actor's playing different roles, I just didn't get the point of the whole story. None of the stories made me care. I found myself trying to figure out which actor was behind some heavy make up.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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5

KadeemluvmusicNov 1, 2012

I love the Wachowski Bros., but they should've made another movie after a 4-year absence since 2009's critical and commercial disappointment which is "Ninja Assassin." I saw the movie this weekend and it was supposed to be 3 hours, but 2 andI love the Wachowski Bros., but they should've made another movie after a 4-year absence since 2009's critical and commercial disappointment which is "Ninja Assassin." I saw the movie this weekend and it was supposed to be 3 hours, but 2 and a half hours? Well, I got a mixed feeling about Cloud Atlas. Some reviews were good, others having difficulty on why the action almost takes it to new heights. I knew it was a disappointment for both Tom Hanks and Halle Berry since it can't match any of the Matrix success. But I'll just have to wait for a rental.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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5

dante_finnNov 17, 2012

Cloud Atlas is a cornily enthralling sci-fi. It seems to be like cramming the entire plot into 1. It's more like a pulpy middle brow trip. Its strange but cool

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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5

cineceptDec 28, 2012

Cinematically beautiful with a great cast but definitely played out like a bunch of trailers all ready and willing to make the next great film. The music in the film tried too hard and was over exaggerated half the time as well. This movieCinematically beautiful with a great cast but definitely played out like a bunch of trailers all ready and willing to make the next great film. The music in the film tried too hard and was over exaggerated half the time as well. This movie also could've told its story in less time, it drew out scenes which became confusing at times.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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4

BGYetiOct 28, 2012

Cloud Atlas literally comes down to a jumble of incoherent stories that were supposed to be tied together in one way or another. However when attempting to tie these stories together the movie fell short and the only reasoning it gave you forCloud Atlas literally comes down to a jumble of incoherent stories that were supposed to be tied together in one way or another. However when attempting to tie these stories together the movie fell short and the only reasoning it gave you for why these stories are linked is the recurrence of characters and that is it besides some loosely based similarities in the stories that my friends and family sadly attempted to convince me of. If I were you I would save the money to go see this movie since I doubt most will be able to make any sense of the movies plot. I will only give this movie on more shot when it comes out on DVD and I can snag it for $1 at a RedBox to attempt to try and understand the story one last time. I say once more wait for this movie to come out on DVD and you get rent it for $1 because that is about all the movie is worth.… Expand

9 of 36 users found this helpful927

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5

kman5473Jul 1, 2017

The whole film felt like, "Movie: The Movie" (Jimmy Kimmel sketch). This film manages to get (essentially) every element that could possibly be in a movie, and yet it left me feeling empty and unsatisfied. It's overly preachy, and theThe whole film felt like, "Movie: The Movie" (Jimmy Kimmel sketch). This film manages to get (essentially) every element that could possibly be in a movie, and yet it left me feeling empty and unsatisfied. It's overly preachy, and the Wachowskis missed so many opportunities to stylize the movie. If color grading would have been utilized, than each arch could have been given distinctly different feelings and be much easier to follow as a whole. This over-saturated, vibrant color does nothing to make the scenes anymore believable; it looks like a kid's cartoon for adults. The editing made this production feel like one, long montage with sloppy breaks written in between. It's not really an action movie. It's not really a movie about romance. It's not really about composing music. It's only about one emotion: lecturing about the consistent folly of mankind. Ambitious? Yes. But is it any good? No. This is The Tree of Life for dumb people with hardcore sci-fi conventions jammed in to convince dumb people that this is a smart movie to watch.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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4

Iky009Dec 31, 2013

Tired movie, dragged the script not the big thing else has an interesting proposal, but thanks to its slow pace and great length makes this film a miserable experience.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

LordGoogooNov 15, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A lot of people do die in this movie and there are many main characters. However, out of the main characters the homosexual commits suicide and the Asian "clone" is executed. The rest of the main characters go on to live happily ever after. I guess if you put Tom Hanks and Halle Berry together at the end of a movie, surrounded by a bunch of children, then close with a view of the stars in the sky (shooting star included) all can be forgiven.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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4

AliceofXFeb 4, 2016

The truth is I actually liked some of the stories of this film and for the most part it was good and visually beautiful. And yet in the end Cloud Atlas is like a fruit that looks gorgeous and juicy from the outside but that you cut open onlyThe truth is I actually liked some of the stories of this film and for the most part it was good and visually beautiful. And yet in the end Cloud Atlas is like a fruit that looks gorgeous and juicy from the outside but that you cut open only to reveal green rot inside.

The film was utterly ruined by its need to deliver The Message and its anti-religious preaching. Its plot is a thinly disguised vehicle for political propaganda. It is just impossible to enjoy a movie when you are repeatedly being slapped in the face.

Leaving that aside, with all its bitter aftertaste, I can still see how it could be justly liked by those already part of the choir. Its many stories are well intertwined and come together nicely, even if you have no idea to what exactly.

There lies possibly the movie's biggest fault is that as you ask yourself in the end – what was the point – and you come away with nothing. The film is a plot built around inspirational quotes that sound deep until you actually stop to think about them for a second.

Overall Cloud Atlas is a well made film but, and I think the box office reflected this, it's not a film for everyone to enjoy.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

CantandresJul 31, 2015

Okay, okay, a lot of people like this movie far more than I. I am not a stupid person...PHD in mechanical physics from MIT before the age of 25 ( I'm not saying this to brag, but to set up my premise ) but I can't for the life of me tellOkay, okay, a lot of people like this movie far more than I. I am not a stupid person...PHD in mechanical physics from MIT before the age of 25 ( I'm not saying this to brag, but to set up my premise ) but I can't for the life of me tell anyone what this movie is actually about. Completely stumped here. It's only saving grace as far as I'm concerned is that it is visually stunning and the actor's performances were noteworthy. Other than that...I found no real plot to follow and frankly didn't give a damn what happened after the first hour.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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5

BitashOct 12, 2020

I understood nothing of the movie, it was sooo hard for me to get the stories and connect them, the language was hard for m ego understand. But my fiancé loved it. The next day he explained the stories and the movie, and I get it now but itI understood nothing of the movie, it was sooo hard for me to get the stories and connect them, the language was hard for m ego understand. But my fiancé loved it. The next day he explained the stories and the movie, and I get it now but it was sooooo hard to follow for me. I would have given it a one or 2, but I knew it’s a good movie, it’s just that I didn’t get it. I was giving me a headache so I went to sleep at an hour and half. I think they should have done a better job editing and connecting the stories.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

DawdlingPoetNov 24, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I felt this was a complicated film - certainly the plot is many layers deep and I struggled to see the direct links between some of the elements but regardless of that, I felt it was a well made film as there are some quite stunning landscape shots, some decent cinematography (aerial camerawork) and special effects and I noticed some witty pieces of dialogue. Its somewhat thought provoking and features a decent cast (Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant etc.), its just a bit mind bending. I was aware it would be like this, as I knew its based on a very long novel but no doubt it would put some people off due to the complexity of the plot. It definitely has a strong philosophical sense or side to it, which appealed to me but the more sci-fi aspects didn't appeal to me so much, seeming far fetched and not as clearly connected to the rest of the main narrative. Some of the scenes reminded me slightly of Inception.

I suppose the main theme of this film is the impact that an indviduals actions can have on others (including society as a whole perhaps) more precisely over time.

I admit I'm not great at following everything precisely in such films but for the most part I certainly enjoyed this film and so I'd recommend it on that basis.

Quotes include - "my life lives far beyond the limitations of me' 'I understand now that boundaries between noise & sound are conventions. All boundaries are conventions, waiting to be transcended' from this you may be get a feel for why I say its a bit confusing (or perhaps 'deep' is a better, more applicable term). I wasn't surprised to read that the Wachowski's were involved as writers and directors (along with Tom Twyker as another director and writer and Chris Lindsay who wrote some additional material), as some of it reminded me of The Matrix I suppose with it being a complicated plot and, the sci-fi elements and CGI/special effects. It is the sort of film that may be worth repeated viewings but I'm not entirely convinced that everything would necessarily be made entirely clear on a second viewing alone - I think there is an element of unanswered questions deliberately left for the viewer to contemplate.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

OfficialMar 8, 2014

This is one of those films that I figure that it would be really good, but in the end, it's not a big disappointment, but it's not what you expected. I mean, the scope of the film is big with some really good acting, but the characterThis is one of those films that I figure that it would be really good, but in the end, it's not a big disappointment, but it's not what you expected. I mean, the scope of the film is big with some really good acting, but the character development behind the characters are pretty weak. It's also too long.… Expand