movie review: across the universe
the short review: if you are a fan of any of the following: tim burton movies (in particular big fish), moulin rouge, the lion king on broadway, or julie taymor, you will probably find something to enjoy in across the universe. the more you enjoy any one of those things, the more you will enjoy across the universe.
shortest review: i loved it with my whole heart.
potentially useful review: across the universe is on the surface, a love story set in new york the 1960’s (and early 70’s?) between a poor young man from liverpool (jude) and an affluent young woman (lucy) who is from some specific town in new england, but it really doesn’t matter. the story is a musical using exclusive music written by the beatles.
but that’s the surface. it actually tells the story of the 60s in america through the perspective of an entire ensemble of characters. a well cast, written, directed, acted ensemble of characters, each representing a different path through the decade. the songs are interwoven to give each character a voice they wouldn’t otherwise have. it is very much a “modern musical” where sometimes the musical numbers are actually part of a performance, and sometimes people just burst into choreographed song at the bowling alley. the setting is as vibrant as the characters, and when things get a little trippy, julie taymor’s unique style really shines.
it’s beautiful, it’s tragic, it’s clever and witty. the singing is amazing. unless you’re a complete purist and don’t think that the anyone should be messing with the classic tunes (aka the aforementioned moulin rouge) you’ll probably find the translations entertaining when they’re not just tragically beautiful. i said that already, didn’t i? that it’s tragic and beautiful? cuz it is. it’s also occasionally very entertaining. it knows it’s clever, and does a few silly things with the score, but it never gets out of hand.
if i had any criticisms at all it would be that it gets a bit long near the end, when the revolution and the drama really get heavy, and that rachel evan wood’s voice is too … cautious and calculated compared to the rest of the cast. i personally could have done without the trippy bits in the middle, but then i would have missed out on two excellent cameos and a key turning point for the majority of the characters.
oh, bah. just go see it already, will you?
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