As a romance, Across the Universe is unspectacular. Why did Jude find Lucy so attractive? She was blonde, I guess.
As a history lesson, it is trite.
And as a musical, it is, well... a musical. Which is to say it is sometimes fun, and oftentimes embarrassing--kind of like a crazy mom.
On the plus side, the film does feature covers of and references to one of the great bands across the universe.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
7 comments:
hmmm, well now I'm embarrassed to say it, but I have been wondering if I should see this movie or not...
Would you say that the references are worth the 'sometimes fun triteness'?
Across the Universe. Phew.
I couldn't get past the first scene... It closes in on this melancholy jerk. It's all, OK, what's this butthole's deal? And then he sings "Iiiissss there anyBODY goy-ng to listen toooo my storyyy..."
BLAHHHHGGG WHERE'S THE REMOTE!!!! AHHHH!!!! BUHHHHAAAGHHH!!! CALL 911!!!!
Uncomfortable.
Yeah I also think that was point I started to waning Reed. I'm not good with musicals regardless of what they are singing.
I disagree completely and I thank this movie for drawing me to the Beatles who I always hated basically because everyone else loved them.
If you love the Beatles then you will love the different arrangements of the Beatles songs and it's cool that the actors actually sang each song.
The director was not attempting to make an amazing love story or a great historical film...she was attempting to use the Beatles library of songs to tell a story. It's very much in the same line as the actual Beatles movies (Help, A Hard Day's Night, etc). Paul and Ringo loved this film and so do I.
Its worth seeing despite its flaws. But its flaws are impossible to ignore--that first scene being a prime example. It was almost a deal breaker for me, too.
If you recall how breathy Lennon did "Girl" on Rubber Soul, then you know exactly how far you can take breathiness without going over the top. That first scene took it to a ho.. nuhva.. lebbel... and not in a good way. "Uncomfortable" is right. Happily, the first scene was as bad as it got, in terms of songs covered.
The fact that the love story was bland is forgivable--find me a love story that's not. But the historical references are too in-your-face and down-your-throat to ignore. The director skimmed through Funk and Wagnall's "Vietnam War" entry and then made it the backdrop to her entire film. That was the big problem.
for me, musicals are a strange beast. if you boil it down you could say that musicals are basically a broadway play that has been filmed. plays are notoriously ridiculous (for lack of a better word) but if you watch them in a theater they are way better for some reason... it's almost like my brain expects the unbelievability and once i'm past it i can enjoy the play.
as a kid we watched Sound of Music every year when it came on TV and I still like it to some degree maybe because i've already accepted the premise of people singing their lungs out about everything.
making a musical about the beatles is a tight wire act just for the sheer range and amount of songs as well as the wide variety of fans... it's like making a play of Empire Strikes Back--- it's gonna be impossible to please the huge array of SW fans out there since they all love SW for different reasons.
so, i guess if i decide to rent Across the Universe it'll just have to be some day that my mind is prepared to enjoy the silliness of people singing their feelings to everyone around them =)
I'm still chuckling about your ho nuhva lebbel comment Hap.
Post a Comment