One of the most original and fascinating films of 2012 was Cloud Atlas co-written from David Mitchell’s award winning 2004 novel and co-directed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer.

From 1996-2008 the Wachowskis were billed as the The Wachowski Brothers, Larry and Andy, during which period they gave us such films as The Matrix and its sequels and V for Vendetta. Since then Larry has undergone a sex change and is now known as Lana, which may be part of the motivation for their interest in this project which follows numerous souls through various incarnations, some of whom change sex as well as race from reincarnation to reincarnation. Co-writer and co-director Tykwer’s kinetic style as exhibited in Run Lola Run and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer blends well with the Wachowski’s audacious style. Of the film’s six segments, the Wachowskis directed three and Tykwer three, but unless you know that you would think all six were directed by the same person or persons.

The moving back and forth between time periods can be confusing but once you get into it the nearly three hour film holds your interest as it moves from an 1849 Pacific Ocean voyage to New York in the 1930s to San Francisco in the 1970s to present day London to a future Korea to a post-apocalyptic Hawaii. Some actors are in all six segments, others are in four or five. The quality of acting varies greatly.

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