It's Only A Paper Rose

I'm not certain I can really review the movie version of Cloud Atlas properly. I loved the book so much that I've listened to/read it multiple times in the past couple of months, so I'm already fairly familiar with the various stories it presents. However, speaking as someone who did love the book (and shared in the author's doubts that it could be adapted at all, despite having watched the glorious trailer multiple times) I can say that, even with the necessary compression of each story for film, there were only a couple of places where the movie disappointed, and those were fairly minor.

I'm amused to see it hanging on to a 55 on Metacritic; honestly, that's about what I would have predicted. Personally, I will happily admit its flaws but feel it greater than the sum of its parts; however, in order to realize the latter aspect, one has to understand its individual parts, which for those not already familiar with the story would almost certainly require repeat viewings. And, of course, if you don't connect with the film on an emotional level, you're not likely to sit through its three-hour length again just to work out the details. On that level, therefore, it's something of a binary experience; you're either going to 'get' it intuitively, or you won't. Even if you don't, though, I'd argue that it's worth at least one viewing; the pacing is masterful (it truly doesn't feel like three hours aside from the inevitable bladder pressure) and combination of its ambition and cinematic mastery are both well worth appreciation.  Just don't go in expecting it to spoon-feed you a formulaic story, as I suspect a few of the critics did.

Anyway, that's the objective review/recommendation part done with, inasmuch as there is one. Now, much as I did with another rather ambitious adaptation a few years ago, it's discussion time! Following, some fairly detailed thoughts on what worked, what didn't, where the source material was better and where it manages to supersede the original work.

( My thoughts below. Spoilery, and not really very sensical if you don't know the story, anyway. )

I'm interested in other folks' thoughts, so if you've seen the movie (or read the book), please comment.  (Disagreement is allowed, I promise. :)  And if you haven't, hurry up and go see it so we can talk about it!