Musical Mondays-Week 5-Across the Universe

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

 

I thought he was rather cute, from certain angles.

 

So he's got kind of an Adam Driver thing going on? Okay.

 

I thought his voice was fine, although I think everyone's voice was too polished for the material.

 

I was just curious, since he's been the butt of a couple jokes. I didn't know if he's, like, notorious for some thing or another.

[tomspanks 9039]

I'm saying VD is dumb for adults.

 

Gotcha. We're not "celebrating" here, but the date has a special place in my heart...it was Valentine's Day weekend when we went out for the first time, so I specifically made the date on the 13th instead of the 14th (because nobody needs that kind of pressure). Well, we ran into each other on the 14th anyway, at a speakeasy of all places. So yeah, other than those personal reasons, I don't think I would give VD a second thought (well, besides the discounted chocolate starting on the 15th).

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

Gotcha. We're not "celebrating" here, but the date has a special place in my heart...it was Valentine's Day weekend when we went out for the first time, so I specifically made the date on the 13th instead of the 14th (because nobody needs that kind of pressure). Well, we ran into each other on the 14th anyway, at a speakeasy of all places. So yeah, other than those personal reasons, I don't think I would give VD a second thought (well, besides the discounted chocolate starting on the 15th).

 

Oh, yeah, I totally get it if you have a sentimental attachment to it. Honestly, I was just being a big 'ole VD Ebenezer Grinch. If people are into it, who am I to judge?

 

All I know, is that for VD I'm going to rewatch AtU and I am going to GET IT. It's going to be great.

[tomspanks 9039]

I was just curious, since he's been the butt of a couple jokes. I didn't know if he's, like, notorious for some thing or another.

 

He seems like a decent chap. Mostly I poke fun at him for Cloud Atlas and the yellowface makeup.

[kateacola 2440]

 

I thought his voice was fine, although I think everyone's voice was too polished for the material.

 

Eddie Izzard's "being for the benefit of Mr. Kite" reminded me a lot of Rex Harrison's talk-singing in My Fair Lady.

 

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

Eddie Izzard's "being for the benefit of Mr. Kite" reminded me a lot of Rex Harrison's talk-singing in My Fair Lady.

 

 

I really enjoyed Izzard in this. He seemed to be the only one that brought something unique to the table. He added his own littler flourishes and whatnot.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

He seems like a decent chap. Mostly I poke fun at him for Cloud Atlas and the yellowface makeup.

 

Ah! I've never seen Cloud Atlas. My loss, I guess.

[kateacola 2440]

I really enjoyed Izzard in this. He seemed to be the only one that brought something unique to the table. He added his own littler flourishes and whatnot.

Agreed, it did feel like he was trying to bring different to the table. But I tend to like when Izzard shows up in movies... Like I think Mystery Men is a great movie, but even more awesome with him in it.

 

 

 

He (like Jason) also does a voice of a villian in the Lego Batman which was awesome..

[taylor anne photo 11311]

Sorry. We can keep talking about AtU now.

 

Why do people seem to have an issue with Sturgess? I don't think I've even heard of him before. He was fine.

I really liked him. But I also really liked this movie so what the fuck do I know lol.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

Yea felt like he was trying to bring something different to the table. But I tend to like when Izzard shows up in movies... Like I think Mystery Men is a great movie, but even more awesome with him in it.

 

 

 

He (like Jason) also does a voice of a villian in the Lego Batman which was awesome..

 

I could spend the rest of this week just talking about how amazing Izzard is.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Fister - did you notice Max's grandmother at the Thanksgiving table?

 

I'll tell you who I noticed. Uncle Teddy was Kirby in My Blue Heaven! All I could think about from that point on was, "I hope this breaks out into a Merengue...and Rick Moranis and Joan Cusack show up...and that it just becomes My Blue Heaven..."

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y18TMghKZRA

[tomspanks 9039]

I'll tell you who I noticed. Uncle Teddy was Kirby in My Blue Heaven! All I could think about from that point on was, "I hope this breaks out into a Merengue...and Rick Moranis and Joan Cusack show up...and that it just becomes My Blue Heaven..."

 

Oh right! I wanted to point out Bill Irwin too, but I forgot it was you who mentioned My Blue Heaven. Still kicking myself for missing Old Hats.

[Cakebug Tranch 6873]

I really liked him. But I also really liked this movie so what the fuck do I know lol.

[Cam Bert 8145]

Sorry all, I've been away for the weekend and just getting to catch up now. Before I get into my thoughts about this movie I just want to say that in Japan Valentine's is very weird. It's a day for women to gift to men. There is a separate day on March 14th called White Day in which the men return the favour. However, if you did not receive anything you can't just gift a girl you like, so there is no real chance for men to make romantic confessions. Another problem is the rise of giri-choco or obligation chocolates in which you feel like you have to give something to your male boss or supervisor even though you don't want to and maybe don't even like them.

[Cam Bert 8145]

I didn't review this on Letterboxd because I was waiting to vent about it hear, but I think even at two stars I was maybe generous. When I watch anything I try really hard not to use my phone or go on the internet while it's on. I struggled with this movie. I had to take two breaks while watching it because it just wasn't holding my interest at all and I think that has a lot to do with the overall story and how Julie Taymor chose to handle it especially the beginning. Before I go on, I know a few of the things will be repeating what Cameron, Fister and TomSpanks have already said so I apologize.

 

First this movie could have used a major major rewrite just to draw focus more on the core story. It seemed that they added every idea they had but didn't remove anything, which just bloated and over muddled the main story, which at it's core I felt was good. I mean if I read the premise "A young English boy comes to America to find his long lost father, but instead finds true love as it's tested by the turbulent 60s" I would be interested. However, I had a hard time connecting to the Jude and Lucy story because they just left it to go down other avenues and stories that either went nowhere or didn't add to the over all narrative.

 

This problem I think is especially event with the character of Prudence. Now she is a lovely woman with a great voice who sings one of the best songs in the movie, however think about where her character comes in. We are meeting the two leads at the beginning and inter cutting between them, juxtaposing their lives. Then we cut to Prudence singing her love song to the cheerleader and running away. Based on this I assumed she was going to be a main character. It seems weird to go from establishing the main story and characters to this song just on the strength of the song and singer regardless of how it effects the flow of the story. She doesn't even show up for another half and hour or so, and when she does is a very minor character. The character of Sadie I would argue is more important to the story but doesn't get any sort of background scene like Jojo or Prudence. Also her story is so meaningless to everything. You have what could an interesting story of this girl struggling with her sexuality but this gets a bit muddled as she admits to sleeping with the guy across the street, Jude and Max. We don't even get a pay of to her story because we just see her after she leaves and she's very glibly like "Oh yea, I'm with this girl now." This combined with the on the noise use of "Dear Prudence" I think serve as a clear illustration of the problems with this film I feel. That being time devoted to characters with no impact on the story for the sake of using more songs.

 

Also, there are a lot of things which I'm not sure if I'm face blind too or what but I had a hard time following. I thought Prudence's crush was Evan Rachel Woods, I had to go back to see if it was her or just another blond high school girl. On a side note, if it was Lucy, and Prudence had to live with them as Lucy was falling in love with Jude while Prudence is still secretly in love with Lucy would have been more interesting. Also I didn't know that kid was Jojo's brother and he was with his mom. I thought it was his son and that was his wife with him. I thought their one other roommate/friend was the revolutionary Paco as well. Just characters show up and aren't introduced or explained until much too late. I freely admit I maybe wasn't paying as much attention as I should have.

 

Here's what I would have liked and or wanted. Eliminate the characters of Jojo and Prudence all together. You can keep Sadie but I would have been okay with her being cut as well. You can even take some of their songs and repurpose them with the main characters. When Jude starts falling for Lucy he sings "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" to demonstrate how he's falling for her. Or "Come Together" to establish Paco more as a potential love rival for Lucy. Just focus on Jude, Lucy, and Max. Flesh out that story more. More of how in love they were, and decide if it was jealousy and paranoia with Paco or her over dedication to the anti-war efforts that drove them apart. Just things like that to tighten and enhance the core story and characters.

[Cam Bert 8145]

I will say this though I did enjoy some of the music numbers. If you isolate some of them from the main story, visually they were great and I would watch it just as a great music video. Some of the performances of the songs were good too. Then you have a numbers like "I Want You" and "Happiness is a Warm Gun" which work great visually and with the film.

 

Eddie Izzard was great and an excellent example of talk singing.

 

I give Julie Taymor incredible respect for some interesting and striking visuals, I just wish she spend some of that time and effort of crafting a good story to go with them or integrating them better.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I agree with everything you wrote Cam Bert --obviously. I think one of the major weaknesses with this movie, due to the fact that it's a jukebox musical, it has zero economy of storytelling. I'm no expert, but in more traditional Musicals, isn't your opening number supposed to be your mission statement (i. e. This is who I am, this is what I want, this is how I'm going to get it)? This movie even fucks that up with "Girl" when he tells us it's "about the girl" (it's not just about her) who "came to stay" (she doesn't). I mean, I get that EVENTUALLY she comes to stay, but the movie begins in medias res, so neither Jude nor the movie know that yet. I feel like, assuming we're keeping ALL the characters, they should have been introduced in that opening number.

 

The problem is, as CakeBug has pointed out, the lyrics either don't or only sometimes matter--it's up to you to figure out when--and never do they help propell the narrative forward. At best, the songs are only there to highlight the characters' inner emotions, and because of this, every time a new character or situation arises, the movie screeches to a grinding halt.

 

Basically, if Taymor gave a single shit about the character's and story she was telling, she should have written original music. Since her own story couldn't even inspire her to do that, I'm not sure how I'm expected to care...

 

This movie is the epitome of all style, no substance.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I give Julie Taymor incredible respect for some interesting and striking visuals, I just wish she spend some of that time and effort of crafting a good story to go with them or integrating them better.

 

Either that or if she leaned into them more. Overall, if this was the end product, I think I would have preferred coherence to clarity. As it stands, everything feels dull and disjointed.

[Cam Bert 8145]

Hmmm... I can think of a few traditional musicals in which that is not the case. For example "Guys and Dolls" comes to mind. The first sung musical number is "Fugue for Tinhorns" which is Benny Southstreet, Nicely Nicely and one other guy singing about a horse race. However, this is preceded by the overture which is a medley of the songs, and a sequence which establishes the world and certain themes. However, I agree with completely about the purpose of the first song.

 

Which reminds me we get him sitting on the beach with Helter Skelter playing at the beginning over cut with footage of the protest scene towards the end of the film. Him on the beach is also suppose to be from him at the end of the film, but what if, and stay with me here, this is a Jacob's Ladder scenario?

[Cameron H. 23786]

Him on the beach is also suppose to be from him at the end of the film, but what if, and stay with me here, this is a Jacob's Ladder scenario?

 

If only! I also feel like this movie was set up to be, and should have been, a tragedy. Everyone gets a happy ending! Which is fine...but if that's the case, then I feel like the main story had to transcend beyond "generic love story."

 

Also, Cam Bert, since you were the first to propose a Jacob's Ladder scenario, would you consider yourself to be the "Jason" of our group?

[Cam Bert 8145]

I just saw you posted about Suicide Squad on Letterboxd and it remains me of this. The thing about jukebox musicals is they are kinda just a soundtrack with a story around it. What's the worst way to make a soundtrack? Look at Suicide Squad. Find a song with a line that matches what's happening on screen. They're in New Orleans? House of the Rising Sun! Crazy woman? Super Freak! Don't even use the whole song, just the part that is relevant to the story at that moment.

 

That's other thing I found odd how many songs where sung for just a few verses and then dropped. It just feels incomplete.

[Cam Bert 8145]

Also, Cam Bert, since you were the first to propose a Jacob's Ladder scenario, would you consider yourself to be the "Jason" of our group?

Aren't we all the Jason of our group?

 

[Cameron H. 23786]

So, as I've been writing all these posts I've been going through my re-watch, and OMG, I can't stand Lucy. Like Tom brought up about the pregnancy thing, The Native American/Thanksgiving spiel? Really? Give the guy a break. He's asking you a simple question. There's no need to soapbox simply because it's tangentially related to one of your "causes." Simply say, "it's a time we all get together and give thanks for all our blessings." If he shows any interest beyond that point ("That's really neat. How did that all start?") then you can get into it if you want. She's just being insufferable.

 

And worse, the line is only there because it's how Taymor probably feels like a "hippie" would respond. And they're only going to Thanksgiving Dinner so she can say that line. An so on and so forth. Pretty soon you see exactly the thought processes that went into the making of the entire movie.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Okay, now I'm just live tweeting this...

 

Do you think Jude is given a non-entity New York girlfriend just so the lyrics to "If I Fell" would be relevant?

 

Also, I never really thought about it before, but I just realized that "If I Fell" is a song about a guy trying to get a gal to convince him that she's worth jilting his current lover.

[Cam Bert 8145]

Okay, now I'm just live tweeting this...

 

Do you think Jude is given a non-entity New York girlfriend just so the lyrics to "If I Fell" would be relevant?

 

Also, I never really thought about it before, but I just realized that "If I Fell" is a song about a guy trying to get a gal to convince him that she's worth jilting his current lover.

While I would not put it past them to do something like this, I think the reason for the English girlfriend is so they can do all those shots at the beginning with Lucy and her boyfriend match up to him with his girlfriend.

 

Also that reminds me of my biggest HDTGM moment of the movie. Right before that song he draws her pictures on that abandoned building and a cop from the second story yells at them. Why is the cop on the second floor of an abandoned building? Also, where do they go to get away from him? Why into that building.