Saturday, October 27th 2007
Across The Universe
My work for today was canceled without warning and I found myself wondering what to do. What is it that I do when I’m not working? I couldn’t remember so I decided to go see a movie.
Last Thursday I went to the opening of a gallery exhibition to see my friend, Jared, the photographer responsible for the images you see on this page. He is one of those people I see infrequently whose company I always enjoy until I remember that he is infuriating. Other than that I would marry him, but the point of this mention is that he saw Across The Universe recently and wanted to know my opinion.
My opinion was that I felt bitter because I waited for nine months for that movie to come out and then found myself with no time to see the damn thing. It was released nationwide on Johnny’s birthday and where was I? Not at the theater as planned.
So I checked my local listings this morning only to discover that it wasn’t playing in any of my preferred theaters, but rather in the sad, dilapidated Mann cinema I typically avoid. It turned out well with an unheard of $3.50 matinee price and a deserted, old school auditorium.
Going through the process of preparing myself for disappointment after such a long anticipation was wise, but entirely unwarranted. From the first note sung in the opening scene to the closing credits I was in awe. The trailer put emphasis on the surreal aspects of the feature and that can sometimes be a warning. Thankfully the whimsical, art school orgy bits blended seamlessly with reality much in the way I often impose my own fantasies on my everyday life.
After the movie I couldn’t get home fast enough to buy the soundtrack. I called Jared so we could have the discussion we should have had on Thursday. He asked me to sum up my experience in a single sentence (yeah, he’s one of those). I told him that it was like visiting a museum on acid and all of the paintings were singing to entertain me. That stopped him in his tracks.
Go see the freaking flick, please. Even if it’s only for the shockingly homoerotic Army induction sequence. I haven’t felt so artistically molested by a movie since The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover. The arrangements of the Beatles songs are simply sublime and incredibly moving. I’m including a selection here because during that scene of the movie I almost dropped my nachos I was crying so hard.
Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I totally creamed my drawers for this movie. As a Beatles fan (and who isn’t? answer: only the most hard-hearted tasteless cynic), I was curious to see what songs they would pick. Of course a lot of the standards were there, albeit re-imagined with brilliant new arrangements and fresh levels of meaning. Some of the deeper cuts were pleasingly unexpected (Eddie Izzard’s interpretation of “For the Benefit of Mr. Kite” was particularly creepy).
This is definitely the kind of movie that should be seen on a big screen (after 3 monster bong hits). Now I might finally watch “Titus” just to see what Julie Taymor did with that. I avoided any Shakespeare adaptations after burning myself out on them in college (beats readin’!) Somebody told me to check it out though because–as with “Across the Universe”–she’s got a knack for visuals.
A movie to watch after 3 monster bong hits? Sounds like my kind of film. I’m glad to know it turned out so great. For a while it seemed that it was in big trouble at the studio, what with Taymor fighting tooth and nail with the producer.
My earliest memory as a child is listening to “Something” when I was around 3 or 4. Watching the shiny particles of dust that floated into the sunbeam filtering through the window of the living room… and that soothing guitar… To this day every time I hear it I recall that time when the world felt so peaceful and simple. Aah, music hath charm that soothes the savage frog…
Frog – What a wonderfully illustrated memory you chose to share with us! Appropriate for a movie that’s dripping with sumptuous imagery.
Now I have to wonder what you think of this:
Thank you so much for that beautiful gift, Boy W. Quite a wonderful way to wake up and cure the hangover. I love that it manages to respect the magic of the song while putting its own imprint on it.
Like every version you hear first, the original is the one that holds the key to my box of memories. But with such a great cover, I can enjoy the song without opening that box – and let what’s inside retain all the power of its intoxicating perfume. (Excuse the hyperbole. I may not yet be sober from last night.)
PS: if the whole soundtrack is on that level, sign me in.
The whole soundtrack kicks ass (all 31 tracks). The best $15 I’ve spent in a while (since Absolut rarely goes on special these days).
Thanks for the review of the film!
I had been on the fence regarding seeing it…but now I’m going to get out and see it this weekend!
Thanks!