Review of Across the Universe (2007) by Akash S — 30 Jul 2013

Across The Universe is the rare musical that I actually enjoy. There is still the awkward spontaneous breaking-into-song moments that all musicals seem to have, but the music is so good that I didn't really mind.

Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood do a fine job singing Beatles covers and acting as Jude and Lucy, the pair of lovers that the story revolves around. Jude, a young adult from Liverpool who travels to America, meets Lucy, an idealistic girl who gets involved in the anti-Vietnam protests, and they almost instantly fall in love.

Lucy's brother Max (Joe Anderson) is also close friends with Jude, and the two of them share an apartment with the Janis Joplin-like Sadie (Dana Fuchs). Lucy and Jude's romance evolves as they get swept up in the events and emotions of 1960s America.

The movie is punctuated by thirty different Beatles cover songs, all sung by members of the cast, and almost all the songs are not only fantastically sung but also fit in well with the events of the story.

The only two exceptions to this are the songs "I Want You" and "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite", the latter of which is sung by comedian Eddie Izzard. "I Want You" is played while Max is being drafted, and it involves talking Uncle Sams coming out of posters and drill sergeants doing acrobatic dance routines.

It just feels too weird and flashy in an otherwise understated musical. The same goes for "Mr. Kite", which is played during a hallucinogenic circus with deformed blue meanies dancing. The song is actually not that great, and the scene is bizarre to say the least.

On the other hand, Jim Sturgess nails his renditions of "I've Just Seen A Face", "Something in the Way She Moves", and "Across the Universe". All of his songs are wonderful, but those three in particular stood out to me.

Aside from the two previously stated bad songs, all of the music is very well-done and reworks the original Beatles songs just enough to make the soundtrack sound unique. Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood have great chemistry together, and much of their onscreen relationship can be summarized as beautiful people being beautiful.

They are both very beautiful, if you couldn't tell from that last sentence. The romance between them is never cheesy or forced, which is a huge plus in my books, and both Jude and Lucy make for very likeable characters.

Across The Universe is a visual spectacle and a highly enjoyable musical scattered with great Beatles covers and a surprisingly nice romance. That's a huge endorsement considering that I generally can't stand musicals, so do yourself a favor and watch Across The Universe if you haven't already.