New Favorite Movie: Across The Universe

February 13, 2008 beersbm

 

For those of you who haven’t seen this movie yet, please take my advice and go to the nearest video rental store and RENT IT. Actually, you might as well just buy it because I guarantee you will love it and will want to watch it over and over again. Okay, so maybe I’m being too presumptuous, but between the songs and the flawlessly talented actors you can’t help but sigh and smile while watching it. I have seen it three times already. I introduced the movie to my friends, who needless to say fell in love with it, so much that they immediately marked it as one of their favorite movies of all time (we watched it two nights in a row).

The movie was nominated for the 2007 Golden Globe, best picture for a musical/comedy and was an Academy Award nominee for costume design (if that persuades you to see it a little more).  It is a musical, but nothing corny and over the top like you’d see in Dream Girls. When the characters break out in song, it flows naturally and perfectly throughout the storyline and doesn’t make you feel awkward or question the movie’s practicality.  You’ll feel as if it’s natural that people break into song and dance in everyday life.  It mostly works because they are all Beatles songs, quite possibly the greatest band alive.

Basically the story is about Jude (played by Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (played by Evan Rachel Wood) who fall in love through the tumultuous times of the 1960s, amid anti-war protests and rock and roll. Along with their musically inclined friends, they are immerged into the counterculture movement, and the Beatles songs take you through the rollercoaster ride of a plot. It works out brilliantly that each song goes along perfectly with what is going on in the movie.

Even if you don’t know any Beatles songs you will be captivated by the music and story. The movie’s soundtrack was nominated for a Grammy, for best compilation soundtrack album for motion picture. In my opinion, it should’ve won. The Beatles music is electrifying and influential anyway. It’s catchy, some songs are fun and upbeat while others are profound and make you reflect. It’s one of those movies where there’s never a dull moment and you can all sing along to. I was told it was a independent film and pretty controversial as well, so that is probably why it didn’t get as much publicity as it should have.

So please, take a night off, go out and rent a movie, buy a huge bucket of buttered popcorn while you’re at it (girls it’s ok to indulge yourself from time to time). Sit back, relax, and enjoy this wonderfully mad movie that will have you wanting more. : )

 Here’s a clip from the movie, one of my favorite scenes featuring the protagonist, Jude. It might get cut off so go to  youtube or to the official site to see more (http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/acrosstheuniverse/) 

  

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