Cloud Atlas

Actors:  Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, Keith David, James D’Arcy, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon, David Gyasi
Rating:  10 out of 10, Against all odds, my favorite movie of 2012.  I know it’s been skewered by so many but, to a movie nut (guilty), this is nearly a perfect movie.  It has everything – a combination of all genres: a drama, a comedy, historical epic, romance, political thriller, science fiction, horror, and post apocalyptic disaster.  I think a lot of critics grew exasperated by the jumping between stories and genres and just gave up on it (probably because of how one literary critic is treated in the movie).  If you stay engaged with it you will be richly rewarded.  I watched it for the third time and am still picking up new things.  It is one of those movies best seen on the big screen because of its epic scope but the blu ray version does it justice.  The plot jumps back and forth in time over 500 years with stories intertwined and actors playing multiple parts, even across gender/racial lines. It all eventually makes sense and I appreciated the message of enduring love, redemption, how everything/body is connected, and the consequences of good and evil acts. The filmmakers took chances and I love it when that happens. Hanks and Berry are fantastic, as always (I swear I’d watch a movie with Hanks reading the phone book). Doona Bae, a Korean actress, was fantastic in multiple roles as well. While many people (like my wife) will condemn this movie – I loved it.  The only downside was the central music theme.  A song that was supposed to link souls across the ages just wasn’t that memorable.
MVP:  Hanks transformed into a 17^th century evil doctor, a 20^th century nuclear scientist, and a reluctant post-apocalyptic hero

That's Halle Berry on the Right