Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas: Three directors and a game cast tell interconnecting stories over centuries in this mightily ambitious project from Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) and the Wachowski siblings (Andy and Lana of The Matrix films). The likes of Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant and Jim Sturgess all don heavy makeup to play multiple roles as the movie tries to show how lives and people interconnect through time. The experiment pays off enough to qualify this as a mostly enjoyable time, although some stories are weaker than others. Berry has a good one as a reporter in the ’70s dealing with crooked energy suppliers, and Hanks has a nice time playing both virtuous and murderous types. The movie does boast some of the year’s worst makeup in some scenes, which does distract from time to time. The film is more a magnificent curio than magnificent entertainment. It will certainly challenge audiences ill prepared for its length and numerous swirling stories.