In honor of tonight's American Idol tribute to John Lennon and Paul McCartney, I too will pay my respects by reviewing this recently viewed Beatles musical titled "Across the Universe."
This film was the story of "Jude" and his "Lucy." Yeah, a little cheesy, but I can live with that. Jude is hot. The actors name is Jim Sturgess- I think he is going to be big. Lucy looks like every other blond actress in America. I wasn't all that impressed with her.
Now for the goods (or bads): I thought the first 45 minutes of this film were okay and if the movie would've progressed in this fashion I think I would've liked it.
Unfortunately, mid-movie, the writer, director, and producer all took a few hits of acid and the movie turned into a blur of hypercolors and cartoons. There was a point that I actually looked away from the television and thought that my friend Betsy had been by to slip some MJ in my brownies like she said she was going to do at my wedding. Don't worry- I wasn't high. It was just the movie in Technicolor to the max. I understand that the Beatles went through some drug phases and I believe that this portion of the movie was "symbloic" but, come on. Let's be serious.
Another problem with the film was the unfavorable use of songs to create the plot. The Beatles had billions of hits. I wish they would've written the story and then added the songs that corresponded. I'm pretty sure they were sitting in a room and said, "yeah, I want this song to be in there and this one... oh, and this one!.." and then they made characters and scenes that were, well, lame.
The musical did make me want to buy a Beatles album. Maybe that was the intent all along. The movie was made to sell more albums. It worked. I still have "Across the Universe" in my head- which is sad because I only know that one line and a small bit about a paper cup. I wouldn't watch it again, but if I did I would only watch the beginning and the end... unless, of course, I was high.
What it's worth to me:
Not weed. And not another rental. But maybe some itunes downloads.
Sabrena's word:
"Yeah, I feel like it's one of those movies that I'm scared to say that I don't like because the artsy people will think I just don't understand it. But, I didn't like it."
True dat Sabrena. Only- I'm totally not afraid of those artsy people.
6 comments:
Who are the Beatles?
Oh, you've never heard of them? I think they did a cover of Britney's "Lucky" just last year.
Cicily, you didn't like it because you didn't understand it.
I have to say that I agree with your whole take on it. Unfortunatly film school ruined me because the whole show I was all " this is facinating!" and my date was asleep. Turns out he took a slpeeping pill on purpose and slipped acid into my lemonade as a joke before it started
Cic-
Let's get what I said straight... that is BAD journalism to say I said something and then mix my words up... I got sick of journalists doing to this when I ran SkyWest's PR office... so the real deal, is that I said (to paraphrase):
I felt like a bunch of people we're saying that they liked it because they thought it was so artsy... and that it was so symbolic and artistic that people were afraid to say they "didn't get it.."
I don't think Danny really got it... I told him it was a story about love triumping despite the fact that Dub-ya screwed us over with this present war... did I get it? If you're not with me, you're against me...
Miss you sis!
I left the theater not knowing if I liked it or not so I made Scott watch the first 30 minutes of it on DVD and he wasn't into it at all. Hmm??
I think in the end I just thought it was a bit overdone and over dramatized. I still enjoyed the songs of course. Some of them I had never even heard before.
Maybe part of me liked it too because who wouldn't want their life to be a musical, right? Who knows. Still would NOT say it was a must see by any means.
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