Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas is also refreshingly R-rated, refusing to slink away from graphic depictions of violence, nudity and sex. As already said though, some of the stories are more emotionally engaging than others. As a result, you often wish you weren’t tugged away from these segments and back to the duller tales. For the record, Cloud Atlas is a collaborative writing-directing effort from the Wachowski siblings and German director Tom Tykwer.

Cloud Atlas is a visually stunning film. Each era possesses a distinct aesthetic, from the period accuracy of the 19th century and 1930s, to the retro-futuristic grit of the 70s, the slightly heightened reality of 2012, the sleek, oppressive sci-fi of Neo Seoul, and the primal, natural beauty of the post-Fall world. This visual differentiation is crucial for helping the audience navigate the constant cutting between timelines.