Cloud Atlas

"Cloud Atlas" is a gorgeous, epic, confounding, and breathless piece of thought-provoking entertainment that is rarely seen on screen. Based on the acclaimed novel by David Mitchell, it's a big-budget thinking-man's film that divided audiences and critics alike. Make no mistake, director and writers Lana and Andy Wachowski ("The Matrix") and Tom Tyker ("Run, Lola, Run"), have created a balls-to-the wall cinematic experience that is truly filmmaking at its finest. The plot is about six interrelated stories that date back to the 1500's all the way to a dystopian future. The stories weave in and out, sometimes moments at a time, to slowly reveal how they connect and spring back to tell a story about universal connectivity that is as befuddling as it is profound. A suggestion from this critic would be to use the subtitle option to make sure you understand the futuristic languages and dialects.

The good thing is that if you aren't exactly sure what it was all about, the special features do an amazing job of explaining how the stories relate to one another. It will blow your mind how intricately detailed the filmmakers were in making it all connect. (Watch for the explanation of Somni's book of her philosophy. Whoa.) If you're up for a challenge and want your head to be dazzled along with your eyes and ears, this is a sorely underrated film you should check out.

All featurettes included on the Blu-ray are a little under ten minutes long and include: