Ever since I heard of it and read reviews, I thought I would enjoy it. And I did. Unfortunately, I think it fell short of what it could have been. For one thing, the piano music is supposed to be something transcendent that is remembered from past lives and taken up in new ones, but we never really hear much of it (where the name "cloud atlas" comes from). It should have been a prominent feature of the film and something that the filmmakers labored long and hard to find and create so that the music would have a lasting impact on its audience. I also felt like many of the stories were not as full as they could or should have been. Granted, that would have made an EXTREMELY long movie even longer, but if it's a good story, I wouldn't care how long it was. One of my other big complaints is that the film is too preachy. It should have said less and showed more. Overall, however, I really enjoyed the film, had some great laughs, wondered about how my own choices and experiences in life could have invisible ripple effects through time...and generally felt good about the idea that corruption will never have the final word because there will always be resistance. Pretty neat. But The Fountain was better.
