When director Julie Taymor screened Across The Universe at the Toronto
International Film Festival recently, the audience gave her a rousing
standing ovation. I can’t help but think the visionary director must
have felt vindicated, given the fight she reportedly had with
Revolution Studios to release her version -- as opposed to a cut by
studio head Joe Roth.
The Beatles-inspired musical may have its flaws, but it’s in every way Taymor’s creation. Her visual artistry, along with a talented cast of relative unknowns, makes it worth watching.
Set in the 1960s, the film follows Liverpool dock worker Jude (Jim Sturgess), who goes to the United States in search of his estranged father. He befriends Max (Joe Anderson) and Max’s sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) and the three of them move to New York City’s Greenwich Village to live the bohemian life. Lucy and Jude fall in love, but their relationship is tested when Max is drafted to the U.S. Army and must go off to fight in the Vietnam War.
The story is told through Beatles songs, the characters’ names are inspired by the music, and even the script is Sgt. Pepper-ed with Fab Four references. For example, the character of Prudence (T.V. Carpio) enters their New York pad through the window (‘She Came In Through The Bathroom Window’), and Max is holding onto a hammer at one point (‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’).
Because the two-hours-plus film only has about 30 minutes of dialogue in it, it helps to be a fan of the music. I’ve heard some hardcore Beatles fans felt the songs in Across The Universe strayed too far from the originals, but to me that’s what made them work. From a gospel-tinged take on ‘Let It Be’, to Jude’s plaintive version of ‘Girl’ in the opening scene, the tunes take on a life of their own and marry perfectly with Taymor’s Broadway sensibility.
Eddie Izzard in a scene from Across The Universe
One complaint is that the story is overly sentimental and glosses over its occasionally grave subject matter. And despite the fact that her version of ‘If I Fell’ was performed live and in one take, Wood’s performance was the weakest of the leads.
But those are fairly small quibbles with what’s otherwise an enjoyable, uplifting movie. A rainbow-hued bowling alley dance number set to ‘I've Just Seen A Face’ is energetic and beautifully choreographed, and an army recruitment sequence set to ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’ is equally memorable. Just try not to smile when the characters assemble on a rooftop, in reference to the Beatles’ final performance, to perform ‘All You Need Is Love.’
You’ll be seeing more of Sturgess, who’s perfectly cast as Jude. Anderson, a Brit, also does an admirable job as college dropout Max. Martin Luther and Dana Fuchs, in their first major film roles, are impressive as Hendrix- and Joplin-esque characters. Watch for cameos by Salma Hayek, Bono, Joe Cocker, and Eddie Izzard.
I hope Taymor, who also works in theatre, hasn’t been put off filmmaking by the studio meddling because she’s a true artist and an original. This film, as much as any other she’s done (Frida, Titus), proves it.
Review by Cate Jones
Agree? Disagree? Email Cate at criticizecate@gmail.com
Across the Universe (*** out of 5)
Rated: PG-13
Starring: Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson
Directed by: Julie Taymor
Written by: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Julie Taymor
Related links: Official site, IMDB page, Apple trailer
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