Strong visuals cannot save the biggest disappointment of the 2012 movie year.

In today’s Hollywood, movies are either good or bad. Moviegoers can decide in a matter of seconds whether they like a movie or not. With Cloud Atlas, I found myself loving it and hating it all at the same time.

Based on a book released in 2004 by author David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas is at its essence a very large film. The 2 hour and 43 minute run time is probably a dead giveaway. Most movies that run this long have a great story that makes you feel like you aren’t sitting and staring in one spot for 2 hours. The Dark Knight Rises is a great example of this. But when you watch Cloud Atlas, you feel like you are sitting there for 2 hours and 43 minutes. This can become very unpleasant for moviegoers.

The film also has a large ensemble cast the features Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, Hugo Weaving, and Jim Sturgess and more. The story of Cloud Atlas takes these characters and puts them in six different storylines that connect in abstract ways. The six storylines take place in different time periods, from the late 1800’s to a post apocalyptic future. While none of the storylines connect directly, certain details show themselves in each scene. The details include books, small items of clothing, etc. Each storyline contributed to the overall plot and theme of the film.

The storylines aren’t shown in an understandable format. Each storyline gets its own scene and can become confusing at times. Just when you invest your interest in one storyline, a completely different one shows up just in time to throw you off. This becomes frustrating throughout the movie, mainly because you don’t know what to focus on. The film would have been easier to follow if each storyline was shown all at once in a series of short films.

As an avid movie fan, there was an aspect of the film that I did love. The most entertaining was the visuals. And considering the creators of The Matrix franchise directed the film, this wasn’t a surprise. From the various sets, makeup, costumes, the film is shown on a very large scale. But the one fault with this aspect was the makeup on certain characters. What was supposed to be main characters showing their acting versatility quickly became comedic relief such as when one of the main characters is portrayed as a woman in one of the storylines. This became frustrating as a viewer because it made certain actors look completely ridiculous, which took me completely away from the film.

Overall, Cloud Atlas will go down as one of the bigger disappointments of 2012. It could have been a standout film due to its vision and large cast, but falls flat because of its own ambition. From the run time to the confusing format, I was very disappointed in a movie that I had very high hopes for.