Movie Review: Across The Universe
I watched this film on the VCD, I was skeptical about it because, c'mon: a musical based on songs by the Beatles, the protests against the Vietnam War, young love...I had doubts to whether I'd enjoy the film or snore before it was over. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was better that I expected so here goes...
The Plot
Set in the 1960s, we are introduced to young Jude from Liverpool who goes to America to find his father. He then meets Max, a rebellious young man from a privileged family. They become great friends & move to New York to savor the fun there. Lucy is Max's sweet & innocent sister whose boyfriend was killed when he was in the military. She is then drawn to the anti-war movement, especially when her brother was called to serve the country. Lucy & Max falls in love & their relationship is battered with Lucy's obsession to protest against the war & Max's jealousy that she spends more time with the protests than with him. Other characters include Sadie, a sexy singer; Prudence, a flighty lesbian; & Jojo, a talented guitarist & Sadie's lover.
Turmoil breaks the group & Jude returns to Liverpool. Max is injured from the war & returns, encouraging Jude to seek out Lucy. He comes to the US & meets Lucy again. Sadie & Jojo reunite musically & romantically, & it's a happy reunion for the group.
The Cast
Newcomers are the order of the day. Evan Rachel Woods is sweet & beautiful as Lucy, Jim Sturgess plays the dreamy artist Jude very well, Joe Anderson is lovable as Max, Dana Fuchs is gorgeous & tough as Sadie, Martin Luther McCoy not only plays affable Jojo but he plays the guitar REALLY well. The cast did their job really well, they played the different & contrasting personalities of the characters with perfection, they all can sing too & their voices are a perfect blend.
The Music
Well I'm a fan of music by the Beatles so no complaints there! Old favorites like "All You Need Is Love", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "Hey Jude" & "Something" fit seamlessly into the film, albeit in a different version that's refreshing & wonderful to listen to. The movie also featured songs I've not heard before, neither does Dad know them, so it was a wonderful trip to enjoy music by the Beatles again.
Conclusion
A lovely musical, it had the right dose of emotion, nonchalance, humor, wit, music; the story is simple but depicted with a lot of color & of course, awesome tunes. The dance routines are wonderful & you can feel the flow from the screen. If you're not a fan of the Beatles, you'll probably like this film too because it plays the music in a new light & you won't even know it unless you're familiar with the lyrics. Thumbs up!
The Plot
Set in the 1960s, we are introduced to young Jude from Liverpool who goes to America to find his father. He then meets Max, a rebellious young man from a privileged family. They become great friends & move to New York to savor the fun there. Lucy is Max's sweet & innocent sister whose boyfriend was killed when he was in the military. She is then drawn to the anti-war movement, especially when her brother was called to serve the country. Lucy & Max falls in love & their relationship is battered with Lucy's obsession to protest against the war & Max's jealousy that she spends more time with the protests than with him. Other characters include Sadie, a sexy singer; Prudence, a flighty lesbian; & Jojo, a talented guitarist & Sadie's lover.
The Cast
Newcomers are the order of the day. Evan Rachel Woods is sweet & beautiful as Lucy, Jim Sturgess plays the dreamy artist Jude very well, Joe Anderson is lovable as Max, Dana Fuchs is gorgeous & tough as Sadie, Martin Luther McCoy not only plays affable Jojo but he plays the guitar REALLY well. The cast did their job really well, they played the different & contrasting personalities of the characters with perfection, they all can sing too & their voices are a perfect blend.
Well I'm a fan of music by the Beatles so no complaints there! Old favorites like "All You Need Is Love", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "Hey Jude" & "Something" fit seamlessly into the film, albeit in a different version that's refreshing & wonderful to listen to. The movie also featured songs I've not heard before, neither does Dad know them, so it was a wonderful trip to enjoy music by the Beatles again.
Conclusion
A lovely musical, it had the right dose of emotion, nonchalance, humor, wit, music; the story is simple but depicted with a lot of color & of course, awesome tunes. The dance routines are wonderful & you can feel the flow from the screen. If you're not a fan of the Beatles, you'll probably like this film too because it plays the music in a new light & you won't even know it unless you're familiar with the lyrics. Thumbs up!
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