I saw it twice! Strange but fun

Rating: 8/10 (16 September 2007)

This takes place in the late 60s-early 70s. A British man named Jude (Jim Sturgess) goes to America to find his father. He ends up buddies with Max (Joe Anderson) who goes to Columbia. He falls in love with Joe's sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood). They all end up in NYC--Max is sent off to the war and Jude and Lucy fall in love--but her obsession with stopping the war starts to tear them apart. And characters break into song at any given moment--and they sing Beatles songs!
The story is VERY familiar but no one is here for the story. You're seeing this for the imagery and to see HOW they fit 33 Beatles songs into this. The last time Beatles songs were used was in 1978 in the camp "classic" "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". This is nowhere near as bad. The songs work in seamlessly--they just flow out of the characters and it never seems forced. The songs are done very well--everybody on board can sing and the imagery is just incredible. The first song--Sturgees singing the first two stanzas to "Girl" with no music and a dismal setting just won't leave me. The view of a bunch of men being drafted and carrying the Statue of Liberty to "She's So Heavy" is both funny and a slap in the face to the Bush administration. And wait till you see Bono (from U2) singing "I Am the Walrus"! It really blew me away--most of the time I sat there just slack-jawed at what I was seeing. I did enjoy it but there were problems.
It was far too long--133 minutes. Also they give characters names from Beatle songs (Lucy, Sadie, Max and JoJo) and then don't even use the songs! Strange. Also one character is introduced coming in through the bathroom window (Get it?). Also there are glaring gaps in the story and characterization--I'm assuming there were cuts in the script or the movie. And Sturgees is OK but doesn't have the charisma to carry the whole film. Still, I saw this film twice in a theatre (I never do that) and liked it even better the second time. I had forgotten some of it. Turning "With a Little Help From My Friends" into a frat house song is LOTS of fun!
So--I did like it but the length and story lapses might bother some people. I give it an 8.