Across the Universe

An ambitious to the point of overwrought attempt to chronical the "60's" through the music of Beatles that ultimately misses the mark really badly.  The smell of Broadway musical style wafts through the entire enterprise, sucking anything authentic out of the youthful fun and the English quircky charm of the Beatles' music.  Takes itself WAY too seriously.  Aside from the magical mystery tour era the film is a crashing bore.

As I hippie child of the 60's, I was intrigued to see what they would do with the Beatles to 'click' with today's culture. I watched it with my youngest daughter, age 25, to get her input as well.The lone figure singing acapella on the beach as the opening was breathtakingly haunting and beautiful, and immediately swept us into it's story (told in retrospect). A wonderful treatment of introducing each of the young characters tied them into their montage of related songs, from English dockworker to the Asian-American survivor of domestic abuse.

Hetero men beware- do not let your lady friend talk you into this one. . .It's a 60's montage set to just about every famous Beatle song. . .bad acting, terrible script, continuity problems, and for the love of Neptune it's a freakin' musical.  Keep away. . .you'll thank me.

This has been the only movie worth going to see in the theater in a long time.