A Totally New Movie Experience!

Rating: 10/10 (20 September 2007)

For anyone who knows anything about the imagery or music of the 60's, this film is a pure delight. The dialogue is filled with Beatle's lyrics, and each character's name is from a Beatles song, which was later playfully used in context with the story.
I was SHOCKED to find out that each actor sang his or her own soundtrack! Unlike most movie/ musicals, which tend to cast the biggest Hollywood names they can find and then teach them to "sing", these people actually could sing - and quite well. And they each rendered wonderfully simplistic and soulful Beatles' covers. The only exception I would take to this was the character of "Sadie", played by Dana Fuchs. She was indeed "sexy" and beautiful, and a fine actress. She definitely fit the Janis Joplin image, and had a similar rustic-like voice. However, her covers did not suit the music well. And her strange changes to the melodies often sounded like a bad mistake.
This was not true with the other singers, such as Jim Sturguess, whose gritty and beautiful voice lended itself well to the Beatles. With his McCartney-like look, he was able to change the tonality in Revolution from major to minor with assuredness and beauty. Martin Luther and Jo Jo also possessed a warn, smooth and gorgeous voice. And hats off to whomever arranged the music.
Its hard to imagine just how many talented people were involved in making this movie. But Julie Taymor is just brilliant! Not only are the images and artistic flow sheer genius, but the active direction from dialog into song and dance was utterly natural and always loads of fun.
Surprising and delightful cameos were made by Joe Cocker (who sang the crap out of Come Together), Bono (the trippy Dr. Robert), and Eddie Izzard as the wonderfully funny Mr. Kite.
This movie will visually and musically rock you and move you to tears. Beautiful. Everything art should be.