I had the complete opposite reaction that John did. Cloud Atlas was one of the more extraordinary films I've seen in a seen. Sure, the "we're all connected" theme is a bit simplistic but man, what a ride.
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball