The wacky visual stylings of director Julie Taymor, soundtracked by reorchestrated Beatles favorites… Across the Universe seemed like an artsy kid’s wet dream. But the final product will sorely disappoint those mesmerized by the film’s promising trailer.
Across the Universe tells the love story of Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), set against the social revolution of the Vietnam War. But the creative team paints what could be a vivid recreation of the streets of Greenwich Village and its denizens with the colors of a tacky blacklight poster, and Taymor’s vision of 1960s New York City feels like a loud, bad acid trip.
And the lousy sets only emphasize lousy performances. (Maybe Taymor thought she could hide the film’s flaws with pretty colors.)
Sturgess, who filmed 21 at Boston University in the spring, isn’t quite ready for a lead role. He doesn’t even have to try hard; Across the Universe’s script offers no new insights to the tortured love story. Wood has no excuse for a lackluster performance punctuated by bouts of stereotypically rebellious enthusiasm: she’s pouted her way through this kind of story before. Neither of the main characters matures over the course of the film, making it hard to root for them at the story’s end.
A few quirky supporting performances are the film’s sole redeeming aspect. As Lucy’s free-spirited older brother Max, Joe Anderson (Becoming Jane) is the only actor who doesn’t take the film (or its cliché plotline) too seriously. With her amazing range and uncanny voice, Dana Fuchs as Janis Joplin-esque Sadie is also a highlight. Still, her romantic interest in guitarist Jo-Jo, stepping in as the Jimi Hendrix type, is quite ridiculous.
As the soundtrack of the 2001 movie I Am Sam proved, Beatles covers can be hit or miss. In Across the Universe, several catchy pop tunes are recreated as lush orchestral pieces for mediocre singers, giving off a bad karaoke vibe. Those styled for Sadie’s funk-rock ensemble fare better, mostly because Fuchs’ voice is so interesting. A cover of “Come Together” featuring Manhattan pimps, hobos and Joe Cocker on vocals is fantastic.
The filmmakers’ scramble to include all the Beatles hits results in several unnecessary scenes, often with poor transitions between them. Even worse, Taymor designs several scenes around song lyrics, making them look like bad music videos. The “Strawberry Fields” number cuts betweens Jude in his art studio and Max in the Vietnam jungle. Strawberries bleed juice onto Jude’s canvas as soldiers fall under strawberry-shaped bombs.
Over the top from start to finish, Across the Universe is one theatrical acid trip you can live without.