I really wanted to dislike this movie. I'll own up to be biased. First off, I was raised by hippies. I mean real hippies not those pot smoking into the decor and patchouli fake ass fuckers. So I am a wee skeptical of modern re-tellings of the hippies, their movement and their music.
Cause most of the time they have rose colored glass on about the movement. I think that pisses my mom off as well. They don't show the down side of the "movement" especially for women.
I have my own issues what I perceive as the sell out by the vast majority of them in the 80's. The irony that the make love not war contingent became the he who dies with the most toys yuppies is a bit of a bitter pill. But they TRIED. Failed in many if not most ways but they did try. Which is more than most people can say. Hell most people don't care enough to bother trying. And building off of the civil rights movement and Gandhi before that, they did serve to remind everyone that our collective voice is the real power in this world.
Add to that the fact that I am a MASSIVE Beatles snob. Massive. They are my lullabies. My infant musical memories. My there is the Beatles and then there is everyone else. Including U2. (But you are theeeesss close Bono.) I can't believe I actually dated a guy who didn't like the Beatles. Never again :P
Now the movie has it's moments of *head smack* *face palm* groaners and tends towards the literal interpretations of Beatles songs. BUT...it is done note perfect. NOTE FRICKIN PERFECT. If you are going to do a literal translation of the Beatles and 60's do very very well. This movie does. And it is visually it is amazing.
Max's induction scene featuring I Want You/She's So Heavy blew me away.
This is what I mean by note perfect. And mind you this is one of my all time favorite Beatles songs.
I did find Joe Anderson as Max a bit distracting as he looks so much like Cobain it made me shiver more than once. I regret to inform you all that Evan Rachel Woods has a fabulous voice. It pains me to admit it. She annoys me. First she ruined Wake Me Up When September Ends, then she dated Manson. Not that dating Manson is inherently bad, but she turned herself into Dita Von Teese to do it and that just screamed shallow. Dana Fuchs who plays Sadie is nothing short of amazing.
And of course the cameo's are amazing. Of course I love Eddie Izzard and I think we all know I am biased for the Bono. And Joe Cocker is the man.
Jim Sturgess was great. I love him in everything I see him in. Keep an eye on him and Joe Anderson. Both British by the way. Watch for my upcoming Thursday Thirteen on why I am officially bitter we lost the war. Cause the Brits have better history, music, and MEN.
So my final verdict on Across The Universe is two thumbs way up. It runs a spot long towards the end, but I can forgive that. Now I gotta own the damn thing.
23 comments:
I hate the Beatles. Cheers!!
My goodness. I had not even HEARD of this movie, and perhaps you have posted most of it in these various clips?
I am a BIG Beatles fan as well. Like you there is the Beatles and than there is everything else. So I was wondering about this movie. I haven't seen it, but now after your reccomendation I'll have to give it a try. I was afraid it was going to be a Sgt Peppers fiasco. Good to know it wasn't.
I enjoyed that movie quite a bit too. It was really amazing. I've seen it twice, but I think I need to see it couple more times. There was a lot going on there.
Nope RWA I barely skimmed the surface of it. It's a fairly long film to begin with, I could have posted a TON more clips.
The only song I didn't care for was Blackbird. Evan Rachel Wood has a decent voice but the arrangement annoyed me and that is my most favorite ever Beatle lullaby =)
Jay, I can tell I need to see it again. It is so visually amazing that I think I missed some of the nuances of the dialogue. Which is why I gotta buy it =)
John - What, no Bee Gee's as Sargent Peppers Band? No Frampton Comes Alive But Shoulda Stayed Down?
I saw that movie when it came out. Even at that tender young age I recognized it for the steaming pile it was =(
How is it that Jay from Redneckville, Arkansas has heard of this movie, and MOI, who lives in a metropolitan area of over FIVE MILLION PEOPLE, has NEVER heard of this movie?
Gawd, I really need to get my freakin' head out of the mommy trap.
Doh Matt, you are out of the dating pool :P
Kidlet saw the movie in the theater with the Semi Step when it first came out. I meant to see it. Bono was funnah in it =)
Great rant. I was there and your mom is 110% correct. The Beatles are it. With all due respect to anybody else, no group had the following and control that the Beatles did. Their political and social influence is undeniable.
They opened the door for everything that came after. There has not another band that comes close. And they only were together for 7 years. Imagine had they stayed together. But look at what they left us.
If you say that Babe Ruth was overated, then you know NOTHING about baseball. If you say you don't "like the Beatles" I don't want to hear a word on music from you. You don't know shit about rock.
And not some old and out of it that listens to an oldies channel. If I listen to music on the radio it is alternative. There have been amazing bands since the Beatles. For a long time I waited for the nest "Beatles". It wasn't until this decade that I've concluded, it was so magical that it may never happen again.
Thanks for the review and thanks for the videos!
Yup the Beatles are something special.
One of the reasons I liked Brit Pop so much was that the influence of The Beatles and The Kinks was a huge driving force behind them. Which is why Blur and Oasis are two of my favorite bands =)
I think you would like this movie. I did and I went into prepared to hate it.
I never have time to watch all your videos but I appreciate your knowledge of the subject matter.
I'm about to pick out the top 10 best love songs of 2008 for a music project at work for Valentine's Day.
Yea, sappy songs work best for this....simple ones with an easy melody line. And they have to be juvenile...did I mention that?
(I've just talked myself out of doing this project)
And Beatles.
Who could argue with The Beatles?
Trying to listen to I Want You/She's So Heavy. It froze.
Clicked out to YouTube and it still froze. Must be my connection. Be back after reboot....
Oh that one is very heavy indeed, Mimi =)
I happen to love the Beatles. Like them or not there is no denying that they did nearly everything first. They invented the concept of music videos...
That they did. I LOVED their shows and movies. I was lucky, I got to see Hard Days Night in an actual theater when I was in 6th grade.
I just pushed it to the top of my Netflix queue after reading your post and watching a few of the vids.
He is very Cobain-ish it really gets to me too.
Can't wait to see the whole thing.
Oh Barb if you think is Kurt-like you gotta watch Velvet Goldmine. Cause Ewan McGregor is spooky in that.
Curt Wilde
I couldn't have made it through this movie in the theatre, but I'm definitely interested in it. I'll have to check out the dvd soon.
WTF? I never heard of this either. Just asked Hubby about it and he (half awake) said yes he had heard of it and gave me an "eh" when I asked if he had any interest in seeing it. I think he's afraid it is a chick flick disguised by great Beatles tunes. I just put it on the Netflix queue - thanks for the recommendation!
Trav I think you might like it =)
Bumbles, don't feel bad. It has a very limited engagement. It's not really a chick flick. It's hard to describe. But not a chick flick.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I had never heard of it until your blog. I just finished watching it (yay Netflix). It was wonderful
Hey Misfit, glad you enjoyed it!
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