2008 Woodie Awards
The mind-blowing scope of Across the Universe
John Boschini
Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Five weeks after its original release, ***Across The Universe finally comes to Greensboro. This is the movie I have looked forward to seeing since first seeing the trailer nearly four months ago. Director Julie Taymor tells the story of the tumultuous 60s using the music of the Beatles as a backdrop. All of the Beatles characters such as Jude, Lucy, Sadie, Mr. Kite and Prudence are present and together experience the psychedelic, free-spirited, counterculture that was the hippy movement.
The film begins with Irish dockworker Jude (Jim Sturgess) and upper-class high schooler Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) serenading their respective partners with love songs. This night is the eve of when Lucy's boyfriend leaves for military service and Jude leaves for America to find his biological father. Upon Jude's arrival he meets Lucy's brother Max (Joe Anderson) and after an upbeat rendition of "With a Little Help from my Friends" the two quickly become inseparable. Having nowhere to go for Thanksgiving (it not being an Irish holiday) Max graciously welcomes Jude to his home where he meets Lucy and an attraction is born. However, it initially leads nowhere because they are both still committed.
During this time of the film we are introduced to Jojo (Martin Luther), a middle-aged black guitarist who represents Jimi Hendrix, and Prudence (T.V. Carpio), a high school cheerleader who continually falls in love with committed men. They both see themselves with nowhere else to turn and decide to go to New York to try and start anew. About that same time Max, having dropped out of college, and Jude decide to move to New York for the same reason as Prudence and Jojo. The four meet when they all rent the same flat owned by an up and coming singer named Sadie (Dana Fuchs).
Lucy then finds out that her high school sweetheart has been killed in the line of duty and moves to New York to live with her brother. It is here that Jude and Lucy's innocent attraction blossoms into love. Max is then shipped off into Vietnam and Lucy becomes an avid peace advocate. The story then goes in a million different directions, from the battlefields of Vietnam to the docks of Ireland to anti-war rallies. The movie is incredibly trippy. Picture the oddity of Moulin Rouge and multiply it by about 30; there you will find the mind-blowing scope of Across the Universe. Even Bono drops by to sport a Yosemite Sam mustache and sing, "I am the Walrus."
The movie is definitely flawed, there's no denying that. The beginning and middle of the movie should have been trimmed by a good 20 minutes and the result was a movie that was choppier than it should have been. However, the positives of this movie far outweigh the negatives. No A-list actors are used, yet the characters could not have been cast more perfectly. This gives the audience the benefit of seeing a character on screen instead of focusing on their favorite actor.
Taymor is responsible for bringing The Lion King to Broadway, and her incredible talent in set and costume design are showcased here. The scenery is unlike anything the world has ever seen. If you've ever wondered what it likes to take a hallucinogenic drug, see this movie and all of your curiosities will be put to rest.
The story is cheesy but in an age where every award-winning movie has a main character die, a little cheese is refreshing. Its portrayal of the 60s is both idealistic and stereotypical and is by no stretch of the imagination accurate. The musical numbers are exceptional. No one can improve upon the work of the Beatles, but the updated versions of "Let it Be," "Hey Jude," and "Hey Prudence" are worth the price of admission. The songs fit in surprisingly well with the storyline and compliment the narrative rather than distract from it.
Across the Universe is not the greatest musical of our generation or the definitive work on either The Beatles or the 60s. However, it reminds us that films are an expression of art and not just a way to showcase enormous explosions or giant robots. For better or worse, Across the Universe is the most original movie of the year. As idealistic and unrealistic as it is, for two hours the audience believes that maybe, just maybe, all you need is love.
The film begins with Irish dockworker Jude (Jim Sturgess) and upper-class high schooler Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) serenading their respective partners with love songs. This night is the eve of when Lucy's boyfriend leaves for military service and Jude leaves for America to find his biological father. Upon Jude's arrival he meets Lucy's brother Max (Joe Anderson) and after an upbeat rendition of "With a Little Help from my Friends" the two quickly become inseparable. Having nowhere to go for Thanksgiving (it not being an Irish holiday) Max graciously welcomes Jude to his home where he meets Lucy and an attraction is born. However, it initially leads nowhere because they are both still committed.
During this time of the film we are introduced to Jojo (Martin Luther), a middle-aged black guitarist who represents Jimi Hendrix, and Prudence (T.V. Carpio), a high school cheerleader who continually falls in love with committed men. They both see themselves with nowhere else to turn and decide to go to New York to try and start anew. About that same time Max, having dropped out of college, and Jude decide to move to New York for the same reason as Prudence and Jojo. The four meet when they all rent the same flat owned by an up and coming singer named Sadie (Dana Fuchs).
Lucy then finds out that her high school sweetheart has been killed in the line of duty and moves to New York to live with her brother. It is here that Jude and Lucy's innocent attraction blossoms into love. Max is then shipped off into Vietnam and Lucy becomes an avid peace advocate. The story then goes in a million different directions, from the battlefields of Vietnam to the docks of Ireland to anti-war rallies. The movie is incredibly trippy. Picture the oddity of Moulin Rouge and multiply it by about 30; there you will find the mind-blowing scope of Across the Universe. Even Bono drops by to sport a Yosemite Sam mustache and sing, "I am the Walrus."
The movie is definitely flawed, there's no denying that. The beginning and middle of the movie should have been trimmed by a good 20 minutes and the result was a movie that was choppier than it should have been. However, the positives of this movie far outweigh the negatives. No A-list actors are used, yet the characters could not have been cast more perfectly. This gives the audience the benefit of seeing a character on screen instead of focusing on their favorite actor.
Taymor is responsible for bringing The Lion King to Broadway, and her incredible talent in set and costume design are showcased here. The scenery is unlike anything the world has ever seen. If you've ever wondered what it likes to take a hallucinogenic drug, see this movie and all of your curiosities will be put to rest.
The story is cheesy but in an age where every award-winning movie has a main character die, a little cheese is refreshing. Its portrayal of the 60s is both idealistic and stereotypical and is by no stretch of the imagination accurate. The musical numbers are exceptional. No one can improve upon the work of the Beatles, but the updated versions of "Let it Be," "Hey Jude," and "Hey Prudence" are worth the price of admission. The songs fit in surprisingly well with the storyline and compliment the narrative rather than distract from it.
Across the Universe is not the greatest musical of our generation or the definitive work on either The Beatles or the 60s. However, it reminds us that films are an expression of art and not just a way to showcase enormous explosions or giant robots. For better or worse, Across the Universe is the most original movie of the year. As idealistic and unrealistic as it is, for two hours the audience believes that maybe, just maybe, all you need is love.
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