Across the Universe

 

Across the Universe-2007, starring Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Cocker, Salma Hayek, and Bono

Maltin says- A young Brit comes to the U.S. in search of his father, and falls in love with an all-American girl, just as she (and her entire generation) experience the mind-bending changes of the Vietnam era.  Routine story is just an excuse to pictorialize- and attempt to contextualize- more than 30 landmark Beatles songs.  Imaginative at times but increasingly wearying as the song cues line up (yes, there are characters named Prudence, Maxwell, Jude, et al), famous faces appear, and the plotline bogs down.  Our favorite number: Joe Cocker singing "Come Together."  2 and a half stars.

I say- I'm going to stick with the same opinion I had of this movie when I first saw it 4 years ago: this is not that great of a movie.  I saw it today, and had the same feeling.  The plot, which is incredibly basic, is very similar to a 15 minute sequence in Forrest Gump, where it was done much better.  Seriously, take away the Beatles songs and what do you have?  Just a basic, standard, Vietnam story.  It is a beautiful looking movie though, and I feel that it would work much better on stage than it does in film.  1 and a half stars.