Fast-Forwarded Through Various Scenes

I like and understand the movie, but I found myself fast-forwarding some scenes to really appreciate how the visuals told the story for me. For example, I raced through almost all the 2144 Neo-Seoule scenes because the visuals largely echoed a Metropolis/ Blade Runner future dsytopia. I also didn't need to hear all the dialogue to understand how the narratives and their characters were connected. The filmmakers presented on the screen almost everything I need to understand the film. In short, I think Cloud Atlas beautifully tells its narratives through the visuals. It is cinematic, just as 2001: A Space Odyssey is cinematic. I could have muted the sound and still follow the movie.

Beauty may be only skin deep, but arrogance and stupidity go down to the bone.