Topic: Cloud Atlas - Thinking Man's Sci-fi

[hangarbay94]

I have to admit that after enjoying the relentless action of Pacific Rim, I left the cinema feeling rather numb, Like most contemporary big budget movies it thrills the senses but does little to feed the brain, yet this evening I had a pleasant surprise, I watched Cloud Atlas.

Strangely our local Blockbuster store had just one copy displayed on one of the lower shelves, yet this is a big budget film, on top of that I'd never even heard of it. Well I have to say that this film is one of the best and original  sci-fi movies I've seen in a long time. It's funny, sad, thrilling and totally unexpectedly great.  There's even a speeder chase that gives the Coruscant speeder chase in Ep2 a run for its money.

Set across several different timelines, past, present, near and far future, the film explores the relationships between people, the consequences of actions and life after death.

I give it 5 starts out of 5.

[Spookymufu]

I watched this recently also and after 3hrs, my butt was numb and so was the feeling I got from this movie. I just couldnt get into it and I kept waiting for a plot to develop or for some crash of all the different stories coming together which never did. While I enjoyed a few of the stories, over all it was very boring to me and I almost fell asleep a few times.

It was just 5 or so random stories that seemed to have nothing in common to them except the actors in each of them........maybe I'm just not intellectual enough for it but it was as boring as the Lord of the Rings movies but at least the LOTR movies had a plot that all kind of fit together.

[hangarbay94]

Spooky,  While I agree somewhat with your appraisal of the film, unlike the Tarrantino approach, where each story overlaps the other, this story is far more subtle. Without giving too much away, a sentence shouted out by a man in the present is recorded in a biography, made into a film which is played in secret 200 years later, when the words are used again, this time effecting the outcome of another story line.

I also think that the makers have tried very hard to do something a bit different and the backers have also taken a leap of faith, which has to be applauded. For me I much prefer to see something that tries to redefine rather than copy something that has been done countless times before.

[Tamer]

I saw a preview of this film on a dvd I watched last night (a rather interest zombie love story that actually made sense) and though I am gonna put this one on my netflix.

[Spookymufu]

Spooky,  While I agree somewhat with your appraisal of the film, unlike the Tarrantino approach, where each story overlaps the other, this story is far more subtle. Without giving too much away, a sentence shouted out by a man in the present is recorded in a biography, made into a film which is played in secret 200 years later, when the words are used again, this time effecting the outcome of another story line.

I also think that the makers have tried very hard to do something a bit different and the backers have also taken a leap of faith, which has to be applauded. For me I much prefer to see something that tries to redefine rather than copy something that has been done countless times before.

there was nothing wrong with the film and the way they tried to be different in creating it, and as I said I liked a few of the stories. A few people I work with recommended it so I watched it. It just wasnt my cup of tea, and I dont just like the mindless action type films either, I usually enjoy the thinkers but this one was just too far out there for me really....