Description (continued...) docks in Liverpool. Eager to escape, he travels to Princeton where he meets Max (Joe Anderson). But it’s his meeting with Max’s younger sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) that changes him. They quickly fall in love, but their relationship is tested by the chaos of the late 1960s and Max’s unwilling tour in Vietnam. Throughout the film, characters burst into classics from the Beatles: frat boys sing "With a Little Help from My Friends," while Uncle Sam bursts from a recruitment poster with strains of "I Want You (She’s So Heavy)." U2’s Bono makes a cameo as a counterculture leader and croons "I Am the Walrus," and actor-comedian Eddie Izzard provides a trippy rendition of "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite." Sturgess has the voice, charm, and good looks to fill Shea Stadium with hordes of screaming young women. As Jude, he’s earnest and certainly capable of carrying the film. Wood capably balances Lucy’s naiveté and knowledge, easily moving between her love for Jude and her passion for her cause. Though the performances are strong, it’s Taymor’s gifted direction that makes ACROSS THE UNIVERSE so fascinating to watch. As in FRIDA and Broadway’s THE LION KING, she proves herself an artist with creativity few can match. Director of photography Bruno Delbonnel also deserves praise for his contribution to the striking visuals. He has worked with Jean-Pierre Jeunet on AMELIE and A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT, and he brings the same sense of romance and whimsy to this unique musical. Country of Origin: USA Reviews "ACROSS THE UNIVERSE feels emotionally true both to the Beatles...and to the decade it remembers..." New York Times | 09/14/2007 | p.E12 4 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t's wonderful. A testament to both the enduring emotional power of the Fab Four's music...and Taymor's unbridled artistic brio..." Empire | 10/01/2007 | p.56 "There are some neat hallucinogenic effects here....The infectious energy of the music lends the film a gleeful dynamism..." Sight and Sound | 11/01/2007 | p.48 "[A] vivid, vivacious film....Music -- the Beatles' music -- lies at the heart of this film; the iconic songs, sung by the film's energetic, talented cast, propel the characters through the upheavals of the U.S. in the late 1960s." Los Angeles Times | 09/14/2007 "The starry-eyed youths that inhabit her film -- and boldly offer fresh interpretations of songs that remain sacred to millions -- carry just the right balance of whimsy and respect..." Film Comment | 01/01/2008 | p.76 Full Cast and Crew Director: Julie Taymor Starring: Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther McCoy,  Bono, Eddie Izzard, Salma Hayek Screenwriter: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais Story: Julie Taymor, Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais Producer: Suzanne Todd, Jennifer Todd, Matthew Gross Director of Photography: Bruno Delbonnel Composer: Elliot Goldenthal Release Information ExtraInfo: 2-Disc Set Color: Color Runtime: 133 min. Closed Captioned Language: English Dubbed Language: Spanish Original Language: English Subtitled Language: English Subtitled Language: French Subtitled Language: Korean Subtitled Language: Portuguese Subtitled Language: Spanish Subtitled Language: Thai Subtitled Language: Mandarin © Sony Pictures Home Entertainment DVD Features DVD Features: 2-Disc Set Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.40 Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 - English, Spanish, Subtitles - English, French, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai - Optional, Subtitles - English - Closed Captioned Additional Release Materials: Audio Commentary - Julie Taymor - Director; Elliot Goldenthal - Composer, Featurettes - "2 Live Performances of 'Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite'" Production Notes Theatrical Release: September 14, 2007
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