Across the Universe (B+ or 3/4 stars)
When all is said & done, I think the surviving Beatles will get a real kick out of 'Across the Universe', a musical directed by Julie Taymor. This original film is based on the Beatles songbook (from 1960's England & America). The songs (33 of them that defined the times) explain a fictional love story. A dock worker from Liverpool, Jude (Jim Sturgess), travels to America to find his estranged father. He then meets some new friends & falls in love with a sheltered teen, Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood). When her brother, Max (Joe Anderson) is drafted into the Vietnam War, they all become involved in antiwar activism & social issues ... well, most of them do. With the songs interwoven into the plot, & some brilliant visual allusions, this whimsical movie is mainly 'hit', but sometimes 'miss'.
After finding his father (who works as a janitor at Princeton Univ.), Jude meets Max, an ex-student. Sometime later, he is introduced to Max's sis, Lucy, & the chemistry is undeniable. Max's family is privileged, but he's rebellious in nature. Before long, Max takes off with Jude & they become roommates in a bohemian neighborhood in NYC. They meet some colorful new friends: Prudence (T.V. Carpio), an Asian lesbian from Ohio; Sadie (Dana Fuchs), a Janis Joplin-esque singer who lives with them; and JoJo (Martin Luther), Sadie's boyfriend, and Jimi Hendrix wannabe. After a local tragedy, Lucy leaves Massachusetts and aims to live with her brother & Jude in bohemian bliss. As Lucy & Jude's love grows, the friendships start to flounder.
This all leads them down a certain path(s): 'Transcendental/mind exploration' road trips, struggles for free speech, radical protests against the Vietnam War (Max desperately tries to avoid the draft), and whatever other traumas that affected the nation during that era (Civil Rights, evolution of music (R&R), the Detroit Riots, etc.); everything is a big, messy, beautiful blur for our main characters. The war is the centerpiece of the film, though. And it's Lucy's involvement with the anti-war movm't that proves a stumbling block in the plot as Jude is comparatively apolitical (being a Brit). Will war tear them all apart? Can they stay the course?
The closest film I can compare this to is Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge; and the effect is the same for me (huge appreciation & respect, hit & miss execution). To say this film is imaginative does it a disservice. Julie Taymor throws everything in (animation, live action theatrics, puppets, psychedelic visions, underwater sequences, and then some). The choice of songs is critical in allowing the protagonists to express their inner emotions; I think the film excels here. Evan Rachel Wood is most impressive & has a strong, appealing voice. But each character has their own interesting vocal styling: T.V. Carpio puts her own spin on 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand'. Dana Fuchs sings 'Helter Skelter' with raw power, etc. It's also great to see cameos from Joe Cocker & Bono (as a trippy doctor).
I can't argue the film's spectacle, cleverness & ambition. It's ode to a specific time & place is credible. Given this, I lodge myself in-between 2 'Beatles' worlds. I'm not the crazed fan who's gonna love or hate the movie. Nor am I the ignorant, unappreciative brat (snickering through most of the film) who hasn't a clue about the Beatles; I'm in the middle. And with that, I can say that a lot of 'Across the Universe' enchanted & exhilarated me (particularly the 1st hour, & the last 20 minutes or so). The drugs/war section slowed things down too much (except for a fantastic 'Uncle Sam Wants You' segment). There's no revelation coming from this musical, it hits upon the basics (war is bad, artists have egos, all we need is love). So without looking deep into shallow waters, I'll say that I cared about most of the characters, and enjoyed practically everything I saw & heard onscreen. I don't quite understand the negative critiques this movie is garnering.
After finding his father (who works as a janitor at Princeton Univ.), Jude meets Max, an ex-student. Sometime later, he is introduced to Max's sis, Lucy, & the chemistry is undeniable. Max's family is privileged, but he's rebellious in nature. Before long, Max takes off with Jude & they become roommates in a bohemian neighborhood in NYC. They meet some colorful new friends: Prudence (T.V. Carpio), an Asian lesbian from Ohio; Sadie (Dana Fuchs), a Janis Joplin-esque singer who lives with them; and JoJo (Martin Luther), Sadie's boyfriend, and Jimi Hendrix wannabe. After a local tragedy, Lucy leaves Massachusetts and aims to live with her brother & Jude in bohemian bliss. As Lucy & Jude's love grows, the friendships start to flounder.
This all leads them down a certain path(s): 'Transcendental/mind exploration' road trips, struggles for free speech, radical protests against the Vietnam War (Max desperately tries to avoid the draft), and whatever other traumas that affected the nation during that era (Civil Rights, evolution of music (R&R), the Detroit Riots, etc.); everything is a big, messy, beautiful blur for our main characters. The war is the centerpiece of the film, though. And it's Lucy's involvement with the anti-war movm't that proves a stumbling block in the plot as Jude is comparatively apolitical (being a Brit). Will war tear them all apart? Can they stay the course?
The closest film I can compare this to is Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge; and the effect is the same for me (huge appreciation & respect, hit & miss execution). To say this film is imaginative does it a disservice. Julie Taymor throws everything in (animation, live action theatrics, puppets, psychedelic visions, underwater sequences, and then some). The choice of songs is critical in allowing the protagonists to express their inner emotions; I think the film excels here. Evan Rachel Wood is most impressive & has a strong, appealing voice. But each character has their own interesting vocal styling: T.V. Carpio puts her own spin on 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand'. Dana Fuchs sings 'Helter Skelter' with raw power, etc. It's also great to see cameos from Joe Cocker & Bono (as a trippy doctor).
I can't argue the film's spectacle, cleverness & ambition. It's ode to a specific time & place is credible. Given this, I lodge myself in-between 2 'Beatles' worlds. I'm not the crazed fan who's gonna love or hate the movie. Nor am I the ignorant, unappreciative brat (snickering through most of the film) who hasn't a clue about the Beatles; I'm in the middle. And with that, I can say that a lot of 'Across the Universe' enchanted & exhilarated me (particularly the 1st hour, & the last 20 minutes or so). The drugs/war section slowed things down too much (except for a fantastic 'Uncle Sam Wants You' segment). There's no revelation coming from this musical, it hits upon the basics (war is bad, artists have egos, all we need is love). So without looking deep into shallow waters, I'll say that I cared about most of the characters, and enjoyed practically everything I saw & heard onscreen. I don't quite understand the negative critiques this movie is garnering.