“Across the Universe”
Columbia Pictures
Directed by Julie Taymor
Starring Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy, Joe Cocker, Eddie Izzard. Salma Hayek and Bono.
Rated PG-13

3 ½ Stars

It’s been a great year for fans of movie-musicals. “Hairspray” was delightful, “Sweeny Todd” is one of the most-anticipated films of the holiday season, and the alt-rock “Once” will probably be on my year-end Top 10 List. If that wasn’t enough, we now have another musical gem, “Across the Universe,” which features stunning visuals from director Julie Taymor and music by none other than The Beatles.

You must be doing something right if you can get The Beatles to sign off on your little art movie.

Coming across as “Moulin Rouge” meets “Hair” meets “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” this is the fantastic tale of an English boy named Jude (Jim Sturgess) who sneaks into America in the ‘60s, falls in love with a girl named Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) and gets caught up in the turbulence surrounding hippie culture and Vietnam. All of this is expressed through the words of The Beatles—why do you think our young lovers are named Jude and Lucy?

Unfortunately, the songs do not flow easily into the narrative, so the story stops every few moments to allow the cast time to belt out another Beatles classic. It’s a bit ham-fisted, but there’s no denying the appeal of the music in this film. I must admit that I’m not a huge fan of The Beatles, but I’ve been singing these songs in my mind ever since leaving the theater. I don’t think I’m going out on a limb here, saying that this music is infectious and worth the price of admission alone.

The visuals are also top-drawer. Director Julie Taymor is known for her ability to put amazing images up on the screen, and while her story telling abilities are not quite as developed, her films are always filled with wondrous sights. This is another winner, and probable Academy Award nominee for production design.

The bottom line is that the music and images are great, the acting and story are only fair to good, but fans of The Beatles will certainly want to drive across the city to see “Across the Universe.” Even non-fans will get a kick out of yet another great movie-musical.


Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published Wednesdays and Fridays in “The Port Arthur News.” He can be found weekly on KAVU-TV and KOLE and KVIC Radio. Additional reviews can be found at www.rottentomatoes.com, www.panews.com or at www.myvictoriaonline.com. Sean welcomes your comments via email at smcbride@kavutv.com.