One Sentence Review: A sweet musical set mostly in America during the turbulent time of the Vietnam War, featuring the tunes of the Beatles, and solid performances by main characters.
Full Review: The premise sounds a bit daunting, doesn't it? Take a handful of songs from the greatest band of all time, change some arrangements, hire a cast of relative newcomers, and film a musical. Just an average day. I assume that's what happened when the people behind Across the Universe decided to make the film. The movie focuses a group of young adults living during the time of the Beatles, never actually mentioning the Fab Four, but alluding to them in nearly every scene, not just in the music, but in small inside jokes as well.
The main characters are Jude, a young shipyard worker from England who has jumped ship in America, where through a series of events he meets (and of course, falls in love with) Lucy, a young woman from a wealthy family who, after losing her boyfriend in Vietnam, has become a strong voice at peace marches. Things are made more complicated when Max, Lucy's brother and Jude's best friend, is drafted and departs for Vietnam. Many things happen from there, but I don't want to ruin the entire plot, especially since the plot plays a secondary roll in the film to the real star, which is the music.
As far as the acting, Dana Fuchs does a great job in the roll of a Janis Joplin type singer. Fuchs has a band in real life and has an amazing voice, but also some real acting talent. Evan Rachel Wood, the most recognizable of the actors in the film, does a respectable job as Lucy. Jim Sturgess, who is a few films away from being a real star, shows viewers why this role put him on the map. He has a great combination of vocal and acting ability, and it hardly hurts that he's incredibly good looking and slightly reminiscent of a young Paul McCartney. That all said, I have to say the work of Joe Anderson, who plays Max, stands out the most. He steals most scenes he's in and I really love his voice on Hey Jude.
Across the Universe came out a couple years ago, yet many people have never heard of it. Those who have generally fall into two camps, extreme lovers and extreme haters of the film. Taking the greatest songbook ever and rearranging the music may sound sacrilegious to the most hardcore of Beatles fans out there and with good reason. I can't say that every musical choice in the film hits the right notes, but the majority do and that's pretty damn impressive. At the very least it is great to hear so many Beatles songs in one film and at the most, it's great to see them paired with some stunning scenes, filmed in beautiful, vibrant tones.
Across the Universe was a big gamble and even thought it didn't reach a huge commercial success, I have to think that as the years go on, this film is destined to be a cult classic. I didn't live during the 60s, but my Mom did and she thought that director Julie Taymor painted an accurate picture of the uncertainty of the times and from everything I have seen describing life during those years, I have to agree. It isn't perfect, but it is worthy of two hours of your time. In the end, it is a visually stunning flick with some strong performances and a killer soundtrack.
You could fast forward through: I hate to single out one character in a whole movie, but I really didn't understand the need for the Prudence character, aside from a platform for the group to sing Dear Prudence. Don't fast forward though that number, but I Wanna Hold Your Hand is probably the worst musical number of the entire movie. X's 2 it. Also, there are a few trippy songs in a row about midway through and I assume it was to show the psychedelic nature of the time, but I have to think the movie could have done without it.
You have to watch: There's a span of about five songs that's jut awesome. Don't go for a refresher on your drink once Strawberry Fields Forever starts, because following it is Revolution, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and an Across the Universe/Helter Skelter mix. Not only do these scenes provide some of the best vocal performances of the film, but the visuals in Strawberry Fields Forever are beautiful and the mix of the last two songs is beautifully played as a peace rally turns violent.
Fun fact: Check out cameos by Joe Cocker, Eddie Izzard, Bono, and Salma Hayek. Cocker is the best of the four, portraying three different characters in one song and singing a sick rendition of Come Together.
Rating: B+
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