Monday, January 28, 2008

Across The Universe - The Movie

Ok, so I'm a bit behind. I didn't know it was the fall (autumn) MOVIE in the US last year, and that people raved about it. Somewhere between last fall and January this year, I got left behind.

But, I did get to watch it.
I'm talking about "Across the Universe" - a movie directed by American Julie Taymor.
I mean, how could anybody pull this one off? You could really go wrong making a musical featuring 33 Beatle's numbers, including a few not-so-known songs.
The songs were re-recorded and sung by the actors.
Taymor more than pulled off this 60s musical fantasia (aptly described by the New York Times).

I therefore watched the movie without prejudice.
Needlessly to say, I fell in love with the movie. More and more, every second I sat there, watching. I laughed, I wept and most of all, I sang along.

The songs accompany unfolding scenes, some of which are lightly fictionalised historical events such as the civil rights movement and anti-war protests in the US. And of course, there is a lot of love.
Hey, all we need is love, right? Imagine that.
The characters take on names featured in or are titles of Beatles' songs.
The story revolves around Jude (Jim Sturgess), a Liverpool dockworker who falls in love with Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), a girl for upper-crust east Coast suburbia.

It's very 60s. You get taken on this psychedelic trip with Jude and Lucy. You get to see a Jimi Hendrix and a Janis Joplin lookalike too, though not in those roles.

Sure, there are imperfections, but I can't seem to remember them. After all, if Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harris have found nothing in the movie that they dislike....

6 comments:

Tuan Senang Besar said...

get the 2 CD soundtrack deluxe edition. re-live the movie!

it's quite limited, tho!

:)

Anonymous said...

Hey Nuraina

A lot of young pipple sang "Hey Dude" when they want to make it better, rather than "Hey Jude".

Jude is of course Julian Lennon, who is a dude, truly. The Eggman, though, I am not so sure, coo coo coochoo...

Now try saying "I, Me, Mine" many many times, that's a tongue twister for you.

cheers

zainul arifin

Pak Zawi said...

Nuraina,
I grew up during the height of the Beatles popularity so I must see this movie. I think I know most of the titles to the Beatles number. Thanks for telling me about it.

zaitgha said...

when i saw how Oprah was raving about this movie on Sunday night, i said to myself i will try to watch it with a friend here but when i saw this posting of yours today, i know i have to watch it....

thanks for giving me excuse for 'me' time soon he he

have a good day Nuraina and God bless....

Rockybru said...

a must-see, really. big easy's 2 cd soundtrack deluxe edition is a mouth-watering prospect. i hope i'll find it before azam or azmi does!

AreYouHere said...

OMG!!Kak Ena..u'v seen the movie..its awesome.i think u dont have to be born in that era to appreciate the Beatles.my friend and i went to watch it at Pavillion and the cinema was empty.but i guess its better that way, coz we were singing along pretty loud..
the "I wanna hold your hand" part earlier in the movie kinda freaked us out a bit though.hehe