Across the Universe

So were back from break. It was nice not to wake up early everyday and see friends and family. I can categorize the week and a half as "ate too much and spent too much". Anyway i was able to catch one movie "Across the Universe", at the $2 theater of course.

I read reviews calling it one of the most divisive movies of the year, with people either loving it or hating it. I can certainly understand why. I'll start by saying I am not usually a fan of musicals.

The Bad
Although the movie had a plot, it was a very thin plot. When a friend of mine asked me what it was about, I had to stop and think. Many of the songs, character names, and nouns in general seemed kind of forced. (Characters named Jude, Sadie, Prudence, and Lucy) It definitely feels like the movie was written with the songs and music planned before the plot. Jude also looks like he is Paul McCartney's son. Max also looks like he could be Kurt Cobain's younger brother. It also seems to go by really fast at some points and drag on in others. The parts with Eddie Izzard and Bono are definitely drug trippy. They remind me of when I saw or tried to watch Yellow Submarine. Nikki and I agree that the Beatles think was kind of beating you over the head. I think it could have been done a little subtler, with more hidden references and not the obvious ones staring at you.

The Good
That being said, the movie and music stays remarkably true to the original music. It feels like watching many music videos. Like I said there are parts of the movie that are really drug trippy. Other parts like Let it Be, Hey Jude, and Something are quietly beautiful. They songs make you really think about the lyrics and meaning of the song. It brings a new perspective on an old song. I really liked Hey Jude, She So Heavy, If I Fell, Revolution, Let It Be, Something, and All You Need Is Love. I guarantee that if you see this movie you will at least take another listen Beatles music.

I would definitely recommend it to any Beatles fan.