Brilliant film making! It's bouncing around in my Top Ten List..

Rating: 10/10 (4 April 2008)

Here's what I have to say after watching Across The Universe for the first time on DVD tonight...
Growing up in the entertainment industry of Los Angeles and coming from a family involved in the entertainment biz and having been involved in the entertainment making process myself in a minor way and having not missed an Academy Awards ceremony in the last 41 years and knowing how movies are made and the intricateness of the film making process and being highly picky and critical of every piece of film editing, lighting, set decoration, set design, art direction, production design, costuming, casting, shot and blocking angles, location backgrounds, special effects times ten, 2nd unit work, dialogue, script writing and screenplay composition, music background and major score, surreal "Pony Boy" Coppola scenes and "Arty" shots, etc... I found the film Across The Universe...
A Masterpiece! One of the best movies I've ever experienced and now one of my top 10 movies of all times!...bouncing between 1 and 10 all the while I think about it. Brilliant! Well crafted!... and unique.
I've NEVER been a fan of movie "Musicals", although Grease is in my Top 20 list. I've never liked music, singing, and dancing mixed in with a story and dialogue. It's always been cheesy stuff for me. "I love you darling"... break into loud corny song... Sheesh! BUT...For the first time in all my life's film watching, I discovered that Across The Universe was a musical film made to be viewed in a completely different way from my normal assumptions about "Musicals".
I had heard all the BUZZ about this movie so I sat down to watch the DVD at home with a new open mind. This "Musical" film set me straight in a very profound way! Some brief viewing notes...
I'm suggesting a new category for an Academy Award for Best Location Scout. Watch the backgrounds of the outside scenes! Watch the set decoration and props used very carefully... The interior/studio shots are flawless in their set decoration and layout! Too much to see in one viewing so here's one of many reasons to watch this film again, or ten times more.
Watching again will also sort out your feelings from seeing it the first time and all the wonderings it brings up.
Don't miss what I call "The Strawberry Statement" references/visuals. Activist people from the late 60's will get this.
The several scenes where the songs and themes take off in cinematic surrealism are right out of a Fellini written movie with Picasso directing. Brilliant work! The Benefit of Mister Kite and "I Want You" army scenes are beyond brilliant and are just two of the numerous musical and visually delicious chapters to not avoid, but to repeat again and again.
I especially liked the voicing and appearance of Joe Cocker as the homeless man. You'll never recognize U2's Bono if you're not paying attention, even though he has a long and serious role in a masterful psychedelic chapter.... Good stuff Bono!
The Beatles music of course is the subtle backbone that cements this movie's story together and I was completely refreshed by the new arrangements and new voices that were presented. When you buy the movie, buy the soundtrack as well!
And don't turn the movie off after the final scene or you'll miss out on the little gem at the end of the road. As the credits roll, the bright and vivid visuals and music background are a much watched follow-up that will leave you in the dust with your ending thoughts about this movie.
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