I heard about this movie last spring when the only thing we knew was that there was come kind of controversy brewing between the director and the studio about the cut that would be released this fall. I don't know who won, but I loved it.
People put out a lot of disclaimers about this movie, "if you're a Beatles fan...", "If you like Taymor's work...", "If you like musicals...". Well, I don't know what I am a fan of or in to necessarily, I like the Beatles, I have never seen anything else Taymor has done, and I don't like American musical theater, but whatever was in this movie, I liked.
I liked the story. It all came out of the songs. ie. The characters names are all Beatles song characters. It's kind of like if you ever sat back while you were listening to a Beatles album and pictured the people in the song and the scenario they were in and the conversation they were having, that's what this movie seemed like to me.
And better yet, they conveyed the mood of a time period that I never lived through, but have watched a ton of films about. I am not a history expert, but I have an inkling Across The Universe was a good history lesson. There's a bit of everything in there from typical American family culture to hippies, revolutionaries, and all the guys who got really screwed up in the war. I liked the journey that I experienced with these characters; we went from young idealism to disillusioned realists who over come to find some hope in our crazy world.
Okay, okay. Favorite part. A worn Jude sits depressedly in a British pub, lamenting the loss of his love, Lucy. And all the way in America his good friend Max sits in like fashion in a pub. They are both looking into the mirror behind the bar when Max starts into the first lines of "Hey, Jude". It was like the clouds parted and the sun broke through. I loved how everyone he walks past from that point on starts singing along in unison. It kills me. That scene was worth the price of the movie ticket.
Not to mention the psychedelic cocktail party, which ended up in a wild bus ride to a crazy circus that had me believing I was on drugs too. Plus I love U2 and Bono sang "I Am The Walrus" at the party and all the way through the bus ride. I love that man. He does weird theatrical really well. And, to top it all off, the film closes with U2 singing "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds." Hells yes.
So, that's not really a review, its just me gushing. But maybe my love of it will make you go see it and perhaps it will help you to love it as much as I did. Oh, wait its really long; I hope that doesn't bother you too much.