Across the Universe
OK, so I have a migraine, but that's not the point. Even my migraine can't bother me because I went to go see Julie Taymore's Across the Universe and I'm so happy.
First of all, Julie Taymore is one of my favorite directors of all time. You may know her from her Oscar winning "Frida", but I first saw her in NYC at the Vivian Beaumont theatre where she directed "Juan Darien". It was a Peruvian legend of a changeling - a panther boy not the elf kind. There were no words. Only music, dance, and the most inventive puppets and masks I had ever seen. I was hooked, in love.
I saw, of course, her "Lion King" on Broadway which she has won so many awards for. The Taymor spirit is there, but Disney of course meddled a lot but it didn't matter. She's really the only one who could have done it.
Her Titus is a brilliant rendition of Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus". Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers are all in it. But it wasn't a "hit" and the general public still didn't know her despite two Oscars and 10 nominations for the film.
WHen she did Frida everything changed. That was a serious hit and I highly recommend it everyone.
She's brought her brand of visual glory to the screen again in Across the Universe. It's a musical using all Beatles songs ... it's amazing. It's so very seamless. And she uses the songs in ways that are unexpected. For example, "I want YOU" is not a love song here, but is used by Uncle Sam when a character is drafted. It doesn't feel like she's inserting Beatles songs in randomly - it feels like the songs were written to tell the tale. Like Rent, or La Boheme. The songs tell the story. It doesn't feel contrived in the least.
Each frame is packed with imagery. I always try to tell people, when they watch Taymor, to not expect a "film" but rather that approach it as though they were looking at a painting.
There are marvelous cameos - Bono appears as a a psychedlic guru (and does a great job too) and Eddie Izzard is the fabulous Mr.Kite!!!! SQUEEEEEEE!!!!
I will say I was worried when I first saw the posters. Would it be too hippy-dippy? But it's not. It grapples with the war, with civil rights, with civil unrest - it's not prettied up or made plastic. It feel real even when you hit dreamlike sequences.
Also the production is just stunning.
Please, treat yourself, go see this? Go to the theatre and be open, and let it pour into you.
At some point, I really must own all three of Taymore's movies on DVD.
I just love her. LOVE.
N.
First of all, Julie Taymore is one of my favorite directors of all time. You may know her from her Oscar winning "Frida", but I first saw her in NYC at the Vivian Beaumont theatre where she directed "Juan Darien". It was a Peruvian legend of a changeling - a panther boy not the elf kind. There were no words. Only music, dance, and the most inventive puppets and masks I had ever seen. I was hooked, in love.
I saw, of course, her "Lion King" on Broadway which she has won so many awards for. The Taymor spirit is there, but Disney of course meddled a lot but it didn't matter. She's really the only one who could have done it.
Her Titus is a brilliant rendition of Shakespeare's "Titus Andronicus". Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers are all in it. But it wasn't a "hit" and the general public still didn't know her despite two Oscars and 10 nominations for the film.
WHen she did Frida everything changed. That was a serious hit and I highly recommend it everyone.
She's brought her brand of visual glory to the screen again in Across the Universe. It's a musical using all Beatles songs ... it's amazing. It's so very seamless. And she uses the songs in ways that are unexpected. For example, "I want YOU" is not a love song here, but is used by Uncle Sam when a character is drafted. It doesn't feel like she's inserting Beatles songs in randomly - it feels like the songs were written to tell the tale. Like Rent, or La Boheme. The songs tell the story. It doesn't feel contrived in the least.
Each frame is packed with imagery. I always try to tell people, when they watch Taymor, to not expect a "film" but rather that approach it as though they were looking at a painting.
There are marvelous cameos - Bono appears as a a psychedlic guru (and does a great job too) and Eddie Izzard is the fabulous Mr.Kite!!!! SQUEEEEEEE!!!!
I will say I was worried when I first saw the posters. Would it be too hippy-dippy? But it's not. It grapples with the war, with civil rights, with civil unrest - it's not prettied up or made plastic. It feel real even when you hit dreamlike sequences.
Also the production is just stunning.
Please, treat yourself, go see this? Go to the theatre and be open, and let it pour into you.
At some point, I really must own all three of Taymore's movies on DVD.
I just love her. LOVE.
N.