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Across the Universe (2007)
Director: Julie Taymor
Movie review
From Time Out New York
Audiences already have an answer song to Julie Taymor’s latest folly: “Let It Be.” In a season that will see the release of two extraordinary interpretations of the power of pop music—the Ian Curtis biopic, Control, and the splintered Bob Dylan disquisition I’m Not There—the completely misguided Across the Universe stands out even more as a theme-park travesty.
To be fair, at least, Taymor’s jukebox musical, deploying most of the hits from the psychedelia-era Beatles catalog, doesn’t have performers embodying the Fab Four. But who’s that earthy mama at the mike with the long hair and the visceral growl? And who’s the groovy Afroed dude accompanying her with those wild guitar licks? But why stop at Janis and Jimi simulacra—how about a Bobby Sherman surrogate?
The facile ’60s nostalgia is made worse by the director’s own fantasist tics: giant puppets, cameos by an undulating Salma Hayek (the star of Taymor’s equally silly Frida Kahlo biopic), a top-hatted Eddie Izzard as Mr. Kite. Jai guru deva ohm: Nothin’s gonna change Taymor’s world. As for the songs themselves, they simply push along a narrative about a Liverpudlian named Jude (Sturgess) who moves to the States and falls in love with Lucy (Wood), who grows increasingly radicalized the longer her brother, Max (Anderson, who also stars in Control), serves in Nam. Dig those names, the license for the insufferably literal interpretations of several Beatles nuggets (there’s also a Prudence and a Sadie). Goo goo g’joob; save your money for the Help! DVD.
Author: Melissa Anderson
Time Out New York Issue 624: September 13–19, 2007
User reviews of this film
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- boo said...
- Posted on Jun 02 2008 11:08 a visually enchanting film with strong refrences to the beatles' own art work. It captures the general mood of the decade and is basically completely mad with it's characters' bursting into songs at every opportunity. Off the wall yet highly believable with some impressive acting that ensures that the film has depth. Historically accurate with some nice 60's touches thrown in, you can kind of forget all the surrealism going on around you and sink into the film's main plot- which, essentially, is a very simple love story. The bonkers aspect of the film is well blanced by the sublime musical score which thanks to the artists, could never be bad...Jim Sturgess as Jude is, well, a good enough reason to watch if you need one....a totally scruffy, roguish sex machine.
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- Alex R said...
- Posted on Apr 02 2008 04:39 It seems quite clear to me that being a more independent film also makes it more vulnerable to biased reviews. Argueing a lack of script coherence is mere rationalism, while pointing at the absence of proper "enbodiment of the Fab Four" is a personal expectation, but not perception. I would like only to remain that film-making has much more space for the transmission of the ideas (being art). I greatly enjoyed this. Me and all my friends.
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- Lilith said...
- Posted on Feb 04 2008 00:46 Visually brilliant crap; I'm confused as to why Taymor would work with a screenplay that's as flat as a communion wafer. How miserable!
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- Victoria said...
- Posted on Dec 08 2007 18:12 What a beautiful film! Don't listen to the bad reviews, written, undoubtedly, by dull and unimaginative types. Go see it! The music, the metaphor, the imagery -- I can't love this film enough!
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- John Martin said...
- Posted on Oct 19 2007 23:45 Just saw this wonderful film that is part nostalgia and part insight into an era that was a mix of love and radicalization. Completley capturing the excitement and joy of that time. Well worth the time to see it.
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- garymars said...
- Posted on Sep 21 2007 20:41 Melissa Anderson has bad days & obviously writes up lousy reviews. Across the Universe is an entertaining film to anyone who appreciates a love story that's underscored with a quirky soundtrack. Throw in one part musical, a dash of 60's sentiment & topped with a big helping of well-crafted movie making and you have yourself a fun film. This Anderson critique just underscores how faulty the mixture of journalist with an opinion. Across the Universe derserves four stars minimum. gm
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Cast & crew
Director: Julie Taymor
Producer: Suzanne Todd, Jennifer Todd, Matthew Gross
Cast: Jim Sturgess, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther, T.V. Carpio, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson full cast
Genre(s): Musicals, Drama, Romance
Rated: PG-13
Duration: 131 mins
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