Across The Universe  

Year of Release: 2008
Genre: Musical / Drama
Rating: PG-13 for drug content, nudity, sexuality, violence & language.
Director: Julie Taymor
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther, T.V. Carpio, Spencer Liff

Date Of Review: May 2008

I have a great idea for you, visuals you have never seen before set to your favorite Beatles songs. I bet that will work? This was probably the plug put forward by filmmakers when they set out to find financers for this film. The outcome is this non-traditional film musical that to some degree does work.  My motivation to see this film was two-fold, I had just seen Jim Sturgess in “21” and I was very impressed with his performance, secondly I like a lot of “The Beatles” music so I thought I would give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised with the creativity, originality and uniqueness that the film had to offer. Never before had I seen anything like it. “Across The Universe” was well worth the journey and it's the type of film that could even grow on you.

Jim Sturgess plays Jude (an obvious reference to The Beatles hit “Hey Jude”), a Liverpool kid who leaves his dockyard life in Britain to travel to the USA in search of his estranged father. There he finds his father but also meets and falls in love with an American teenager called Lucy (another obvious reference to a Beatles song, this time to “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds) played by critically acclaimed actress Evan Rachel Wood ("King Of California").  Also appearing in the film, in a neat blink and you'll miss her cameo is Salma Hayek, who plays a dancing nurse in a rather bizarre hospital scene. The political climate of the 1960s, including the Vietnam War, drugs and the hippie movement are all carefully woven into the film’s backdrop.

“Across The Universe” plays out like an endless stream of MTV music videos, consisting of weird and wacky visionary that presents The Beatles music like you have never seen it before.  That’s right, it’s not “A Hard Day’s Night” and The Beatles themselves are never shown in any part of the film, yet their music is the basis around which the entire film is centered. The Beatles songs are carefully crafted and strategically placed to enhance and propel the plot. As I understand it, in most instances the actors did their own singing, which I must say is of a very high standard and ceratinly gives the film that extra special quality.

UK actor and university graduate, Jim Sturgess slips into his role with ease having previously performed in a band called “The Dilated Spies”. Also, thrown into the mix to add some professionalism to the soundtrack is U2 front man Bono who pops up with a rendition of “I am The Walrus”, while rocker Joe Cocker pitches in on “Come Together”. The film even features a rooftop sequence that is reminiscent of the classic Beatles TV apperance where they performed the track "Get Back", only this time round "Don't Let Me Down" is the song featured. It is Sturgess, however, who steals the show on a number of occasions with some classy performances and fine vocals on some classic Beatles tracks, but never more so, than with his powerful rendition of “Revolution” in a crowded office scene.

“Across The Universe” is not a film in the traditional sense, but more so a film experience that could move you or even irritate you depending on who you are. Throughout my viewing of this creative piece of film art my enjoyment levels seemed to fluctuate from a 4 star rating, to a 3 star rating, to a 2 star rating and vice versa, forwards and backwards. You could say, that this psychedelic piece of film works best when the songs are in full flight and the volume is on high. It's musical moments may enthrall you, or even confuse you and in some cases enable you to see and feel the songs that you know so well in a completely new light. At the end of the day, when I had to consider the bigger picture and the film as a whole, I had to give “Across The Universe” a 3 star rating. Despite its euphoric expressionism, at times, the music overshadows the drama to a point where you are waiting for the next song, wondering what it’s going to look like and who’s going to sing it. The dialogue in between the songs is almost disposable filler, but then again, that’s dependant on how emotionally involved you get with the musical drama.

All in all, “Across The Universe” is a freaky little art film, not accessible to everybody and whether you like it or not could depend on your tastes, not only in music but also in film style. If you hate modern art or if you don’t own a Beatles album, chances are you won’t get much from this one. I own quite a few Beatles albums and with regards to modern art, I can take it or leave it, which is why this film generates some mixed feelings from me. Nevertheless, “Across The Universe” is a musical extravaganza with originality to burn and the film is sure to find an audience, somewhere across the globe or should I say “Across The Universe”.

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"If you like "Across The Universe" you should also like the following films - Now Available on DVD:

A Hard Day's Night (1964) [DVD]
The groundbreaking film debut of The Beatles is a fast and furiously funny look at "a day in the life" of the Fab Four as they travel to London for a TV appearance and try to keep Paul's "very clean" grandfather out of trouble. Songs include "And I Love Her," "If I Fell," "She Loves You" and "I Wanna Hold Your Hand." With Wilfrid Brambell, Victor Spinetti; directed by Richard Lester. 90 min. on two discs. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, French Dolby Digital mono; audio commentary; photo gallery; "making of" documentary; theatrical trailer; featurette; interviews; DVD-ROM content.

Help! (1965) [DVD]
John, Paul, George, and Ringo reteam with "A Hard Day's Night" director Richard Lester for this wild romp, as a religious cult sets out to retrieve a priceless ceremonial ring that's wound up on guess which moptop's finger? With Leo McKern, Victor Spinetti; songs include "Ticket to Ride," "You're Gonna Lose That Girl" and the title tune. Restored edition includes an introduction by Lester and Martin Scorsese. 96 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; deleted scene; documentary; interviews; radio spots; theatrical trailers. Two-disc set.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978) [DVD]
Breezy Beatlemania comedy set in New York City on the eve of the Fab Four's "The Ed Sullivan Show" debut, about a group of ticketless teenagers who'll do anything to attend. Co-written and directed by Bob Zemeckis; Nancy Allen, Wendie Jo Sperber, Eddie Deezen, and the great Dick Miller star. The soundtrack includes 17 Beatles songs. 99 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: French, Spanish; audio commentary by Zemeckis; photo gallery; audio commentary by Zemeckis, Gale.

The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978) [DVD]
That legendary '60s British rock foursome with the suspiciously familiar history is back! Join Dirk, Barry, Stig and Nasty in Monty Python alumnus Eric Idle's hilarious Beatlemania spoof, with guest stars Michael Palin, Bill Murray, John Belushi, Mick Jagger and George Harrison. Songs include "Cheese and Onions," "Get Up and Go," "Ouch!," "Your Mother Should Go." Banned-in-America version; 70 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1; audio commentary; photo gallery; deleted scenes.

Backbeat (1994) [DVD]
The early days of The Beatles in Hamburg, Germany, are recounted in this electrifying film that focuses on the friendship between John Lennon and aspiring artist and "fifth Beatle" Stu Sutcliffe, and Sutcliffe's relationship with German photographer Astrid Kirchherr. Stephen Dorff, Ian Hart and Sheryl Lee star; featuring early Beatles hits performed by a group of contemporary musicians. 101 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: Spanish, French; interviews; deleted scenes; featurette; photo gallery.

The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch (2002) [DVD]
The "Pre-Fab Four" return in this silly sequel to the influential 1978 mockumentary "The Rutles." As Dirk, Stig, Ron, and Barry embark on a hilarious reunion tour of America, befuddled documentarian Melvin Hall (Eric Idle, who also plays Dirk) interviews a variety of stars about the Beatle-esque band's legacy. Neil Innes, Ricky Fataar and John Halsey co-star; with cameos by David Bowie, Steve Martin, Conan O'Brien, Robin Williams, and more. 56 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English, French; interviews; outtakes; alternate ending.

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