Amazing Tribute to an Iconic Band

Rating: 8/10 (26 April 2012)

The Beatles were a cultural phenomenon whose influence and unrelenting presence has hardly been matched by any other artist since the band originally hit the scene in the early years of the '60s. At this rate, I'm surprised we haven't gotten a good biopic about the bands origins and their eventual parting (though NOWHERE BOY was a good glimpse into the formative years of John Lennon) but at least we've been given a well-done musical utilizing some of the Beatles most memorable music. For the curious, yes this is a full-blown musical. The filmmakers have even stated that there is probably little more than thirty minutes of actual dialogue and storytelling in the entire two-hour movie. The majority of the story in this film is woven from the Beatles songs and how they fit to portray the lives of a group of friends living in New York City in the '60s. The characters are an eclectic group of free-spirits caught up in the drama that raged across the country in that turbulent decade: the Civil Rights movement and its ensuing riots, the Vietnam War and the protests that flooded the streets against it, and the introduction of psychedelics and hippie counter-culture. And just to be sure that everyone is 100% aware that the movie is paying homage to the Beatles, the screenwriters saw fit to name just about every character after a Beatles' song: (Hey) Jude, Lucy (in the Sky with Diamonds), (Dear) Prudence, (Sexy) Sadie, etc. Because, you knowBeatles!
I'm a Beatles fan and I never tire of their music, so this movie is an interesting experience for me. It's essentially a two-hour long greatest hits collection strung together into one giant music video with some semblance of a story woven inside. Director Julie Taymor and the screenwriters did a great job creating a story from the lyrics of the Beatles music. The majority of the movie is expressed in song and it comes together great. Many of the band's most popular songs are brought to life and used in wonderfully creative fashion. Some highlights include "I Want to Hold Your Hand" as young Prudence pines over a fellow cheerleader, subtly introducing how her character feels out of place in her small town because of her unspoken homosexual feelings, "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" when Max arrives for his appointment in the Vietnam war draft and patriotism comes alive to feed Max into it's war machine, and "All You Need is Love" as the pitch-perfect ending with a nod to the Beatles' 1969 rooftop performance on the Apple Corps building. They've even found a way to work "I am the Walrus" into the mix in what is easily my favorite part of the whole movie, as the friends experience their first psychedelic trip with Dr. Robert (another song reference), a man resembling Ken Kesey and complete with his own spiked punch, psychedelic school bus, and band of Merry Pranksters. For any of those uninitiated to the Beatles, this movie makes an excellent introduction.
The movie is a great experience but I have to admit it's a bit of an endurance test at times. At little more than two hours, this movie feels overly long and could've used a few more cuts to bring it down to a shorter runtime. That's not to say that the movie wastes our time at any point, as every musical sequence is used with purpose. It's jut a lot to sit through and goes on long after I became impatient for some closure and the end credits. Its seemingly exhaustive runtime is probably my only complaint in a movie that pays great respect to the Beatles and their music. The movie is visually beautiful and every musical number is perfectly choreographed and blended with bits of special effects for an other-worldly effect to the music. The cast, primarily a bunch of then-unknowns, are perfect for their roles. They each perform their own songs and I felt they were amazing covers of the beloved songs. Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther, and TV Carpio deserve a lot of credit for excellent vocal performances. Thrown into the mix are also a series of awesome cameos for particular performances including Bono (for "I am the Walrus"), Joe Cocker (for "Come Together"), and Eddie Izzard (for "For the Benefit of Mr. Kite"). There is a lot for Beatles fans to love about this movie and I hope new generations discover this movie as a means of introduction to one of the most influential bands of our cultural history.