I was lucky enough to score some sneak preview passes for the latest Tom Hanks blockbuster, Cloud Atlas; my Maryland Film Festival membership is paying off once again. I arrived at the theater with my lucky “plus guest” and although the theater was already packed we got pretty decent seats down near the front. Actually, the Harbor East Landmark Theatre where the screening was being held is a pretty great place and I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad seat. Leather seats and a full bar, that’s what I call a movie theater! I came into this movie not knowing a thing about the story except the vague bit I garnered from the one trailer I had seen. I gathered from all the chatter I heard around me that it is based on a book that, judging from that crowd, had some diehard fans. All I knew was Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. I mean, I didn’t really need to know more.

I’m really not sure how to describe this movie. Sci fi/fantasy to start with. The story followed six different paths all occurring at six different points of time. I appreciated how the viewer was allowed to slowly begin to understand what was going on and the subtle way the plot line developed. I don’t want to say a lot about the story and accidentally give something away. The stories were interconnected and the characters in each path were related to  the characters in the other paths. Sort of like a giant web of consciousness and consequences across hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years.

Because of this interconnectedness, each actor played several roles, sometimes unrecognizably so. While this was great and the costuming, make-up, and effects were amazing, I did find myself getting a bit distracted at times. Instead of paying attention to the story I was trying to figure out just who that actor was… During the closing credits all is revealed and there were many surprised noises from the crowd when they realized who some of the roles were played by. I was definitely fooled by some. Some of the heavily altered characters just seemed a bit off though. LIke when Monica is in the fat suit in Friends. You get it, but you don’t really buy it.

This movie is long. Nearly three hours or 164 minutes to be precise. It speaks volumes of how engrossing the story was that I did not even really notice the length until the various story lines were being wrapped up. Across six paths, this took a while and I started getting restless. Looking back, I can’t see a lot of filler or fluff that took up the time; pure story all the way. And this is coming from a woman who cannot stand endless car chases or shootouts or explosions or whatever else makes up 70% of most action movies. Not that this is an action movie, although there are some chase scenes and the like. It’s not a tearjerker either although there are some sad/tender moments. It’s a rare movie that combines big names with complex plots and subtle themes vs. hit-you-over-the-head morality (I’m looking at you, Avatar). There are also some genuinely funny parts where I even laughed out loud. (Or lol’d for those of you under 30.)

All in all, I’d say go see it. It’s not the best movie I’ve ever seen but the unusual story and great acting made it an enjoyable and thought provoking experience. I left the theater thinking to myself that I must read the book so I could clear up some of my lingering questions. On a Tom Hanks scale I’d say it’s better than a Forrest Gump but not on the level of a Saving Private Ryan. If you end up going to see it, let me know what you think.