It breaks my heart to say this.....

Rating: 6/10 (5 February 2008)

It breaks my heart to say this but Across The Universe let me down. :( Since the moment that I saw the literally jaw-dropping trailer I wanted to see this movie more than any other.
Then I watched it. Visually stunning, PERFECT casting but very weak substance. Some songs are executed perfectly and fit so very well but others seemed like.. "let's see how many Beatles songs we can fit in a film". The sparse dialogue seemed as filler to the next song and the viewer isn't given the chance to delve into the the characters and care about them and their story. The characters are presented, we get a back story, then we're off to the races. It's so rapid fire that the events of the movie are like a "by the way" to the auditory and visual aspects. The stringing together of so many songs allows your attention to wander. I've heard these songs a million times before. Yes, they are singing them BEAUTIFULLY but WHY are they singing them? There's a fine line between a song speaking for you and someone just singing a song.
Opera can get away with this because that's what you expect, all singing. With this, it seemed more of.. Okay, here's Jude! Here comes Bono! Now.. Mr. Kite! We're not gonna tell you anything more about him other than he lives somewhere and does strange things. The symbolism was at times gut wrenching yet, at other times, was like... "and? what? why?" I appreciate the film and applaud the effort and the idea so very much. So much so that i will give it 6 of 10. I will buy the soundtrack. I just wish so much that there was more substance to it, rather than just a concert of covers. I would have sat for a longer movie if it would have helped. Close, but the execution was off target.
Is there an actors cut out there or characters cut or anything? I may sound harsh in my comments but I really believed in the idea and was so let down. I'm sorry. :(