Across the Universe: A Memorable Tribute to the Beatles

I awoke this morning with a throbbing throat and the sniffles...not exactly my favorite way to start hump day.  For some inexplicable reason watching a movie can often raise my spirits even if my body feels at an all time low.  From under my covers I had a limited view of my DVD rack and my glasses were nowhere to be found, but the glitter of the Across the Universe cover managed to catch my eye despite all impairments.  A clever medley of Beatles songs arranged in a continuous cycle with a wide range of vocals and acting ability, Across the Universe is all-in-all a good film regardless of a few characters that I feel could have been excluded.  After some internal debate (usually Gone With the Wind is my go-to sick movie) I popped it in and snuggled back into my tempur-pedic. 

Across the Universe is set in the 60s during the Vietnam War and centers around the love story of Liverpool's own shipyard limie Jude and the classic goodie-two-shoes turned hippie/war protestor Lucy.  An improbable love, the two are thrown together when Jude befriends Lucy's haphazard, rebellious brother Max.  Having just suffered the loss of her boyfriend to the war, Lucy moves to New York to live with Jude and Max and thus the romance blossoms amidst Beatles jams and LSD.  Several characters surround the couple throughout the film including Prudence, Sadie (Janis Joplin?) and JoJo (Jimi Hendrix?).  The message of the film is spelled out in the song selections.  Peace.  Love.  Acceptance.  Liberation.  Freedom.  Great motifs expressed beautifully through thoughtful covers of classic Beatles tunes.  Some of the psychedelic pieces of the film are a bit over the top, but all in all it is a visually intriguing bit of eye candy that's easy on the ears. 

I think it is rather apparent that I enjoy this film, but I do have some complaints.  Firstly the movie is a bit too long.  At 133minutes I feel that a few of the songs could have been cut without the film suffering any detriment.  Evan Rachel Wood is also just a personal angst for me so if we could just remove all of her segments I think the film would reach a more agreeable length and the acting/musical talent exhibited in the film would improve overall.

That said this movie did indeed brighten my mood and gave me a bit of an energy boost despite my lethargy and sneezing.  Gesundheit!  Does it count if you bless yourself?  Anywho, the next time you are feeling down, or are craving the Beatles with a twist or just want to watch something that will take you up and away for a few hours, Across the Universe is your ticket out of this world that promises to return you safe and sound with a bit a bounce in your step. 

8.5 out of 10 stars.  Trailer is featured below on YouTube.