i haven not see any other film by antonioni and the people that saw this one with me agree that it share theme and imagery with the rest of his work . maybe if i have see other stuff by him i would have enjoy this one and know what to expect . i saw it a an almost complete failure for so many reason . first of all and the film introduces interesting and deep issue about social relationship and feeling and the nature of reality versus fiction and but this be very often do in the clumsiest of way make the character speak a if they be deliver speech and ramble on and on and juxtapose declaration rather than have dialogue . the scriptwriter seem to be so worried that we will not get the point that they prefer to tell instead of show . secondly and the movie have no rhythm and especially in it first half . it be not only that it be slow . some slow film have be make with an excellent sense of pace and rhythm ( el sur by victor erice or scorsese the age of innocence be examples i like ) and but for that to be successful it be necessary that we find the character so engage or the story so move that we can adapt to it . this do not happen in beyond the cloud and where the first episode seem to drag endlessly and and the relationship between john malkovich reality and the love story fiction be at time fluid and others abrupt and others confuse .