I don’t get out to see as many movies as I used to. I’m busier, and frankly Chicago audiences are, more often than not, really obnoxious to sit with. That said, last week I braved the possibility of a shitty crowd and went to see Cloud Atlas with The Mrs. I was not disappointed. While thematically similar to Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain, this movie is so much more grand in its scale and its storytelling that having seen one is by no means having seen the other. But I will say that if you liked The Fountain, or The Matrix, or Doctor Who, you’re probably going to love Cloud Atlas. It’s huge, exciting, enthralling, brutal, and romantic in its hopefulness.

And while recommending a movie is an easy, timeless thing to do, if you’re even remotely interested in seeing Cloud Atlas, do yourself a favor and see it on the big screen. I saw it on an AMC IMAX screen and it was one of those experiences that I’ll never be able to have again. I’ll never again get to see this movie for the first time on the big screen. I’m planning to see it again, but the first time will be tough to beat.