Slow Acting Poison

Rating: 4/10 (30 January 2009)

Across the Universe {dir. Julie Taymor, 2007} (*/****)
I've never been one to bury the lead, so let me tell you straight away, I hated this movie with a passion. The more I think about it the more I'm enraged, even offended, by this film. It is an attempt to weave the songbook of the immortal rock band The Beatles into a grand, romantic, cinematic spectacle. Its production design and narrative conceit are at times engaging but only in the smallest of fits. Suffice to say the bad outweighs the good; the treacle drowns the sublime. It contains good songs, well sung by capable actors (all of whom are given types not characters) but its soul is so hollow that it can only rely on its naive intentions. The simplistic attempts at establishing time and place are ham fisted and cloying. The 1960's were a complex time; the decade brought about social upheaval along with revolutionary ideas regarding music art and cinema, yet if one were to judge the period by this film they would come out with a completely positive and simple message: peace and love conquered all. That is simply not the case; the hippies goals were ultimately unrealized, that is the sad truth.
As for incorporation of songs, Taymor's methods are flimsy (a character named Prudence is there specifically for the song 'Dear Prudence' to appear)and its entertainment value low. The more I consider this film, the more it enrages me and its been a few weeks since I've seen it. Get back, JoJo!