Director: Julie Taymor

Cast: Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther II, T. V. Carpio

Rating:

This movie just mesmerizes you all along its graphics, visual effects, choreography & art direction… and since I am a big fan of musicals… this is a stunning success.

Julie Taymor, who’s other than being a gifted director, is in love with the Beatles. This movie is inspired by them and dedicated to them.

Throughout the movie, you will see or actually hear most of the Beatles Hits (around 30 songs) tailored to fit the chain of events… Sometimes the song comes out as a dialogue, others as a sigh, a hallucination in a dream, or a thought in a head. It is perfectly handled to create a lovely world of fine melodies and lyrics to tell you an amazing story and remind you of one great band.

The movie does not only have verses from some great songs, but some scenes as well referring to them… this reference might be a move or an act. This besides the occasional appearance of certain objects like a photo, a number, or a place meant to symbolize something the Beatles once had; like a favorite drink, an old friend, one last performance, or a famous actress one member used to admire… not to mention the bunch of songs that were referred to in the cast names like Jude, Lucy, Sadie, & Prudence.

Moving on to the movie’s atmosphere; other than being a musical, the movie fluctuates between moods. It starts with a lovely fine romance in Massachusetts, then moves to a lively adventure in New York, until it suddenly dramatizes and gets political during the US-Vietnam War and the revolutionary movements to stop it where it peeks up with gloomy events until it goes back to its initial peaceful mood… where a happy song plays along… All You Need is Love!

You will see remarkable appearances such as Selma Hayek, Joe Cocker, and Bono. Other than that, all the actors and actresses are just talented ones with great voices (all the songs are performed by the actors themselves and not voice-overs)

I can never explain how magical the film is; it is color patterns, dance routines, & visual effects… words can never give a fair evaluation to its thrilling ambiance.

All Beatles lovers are gonna like this movie especially that it was blessed by Paul McCartney and some related friends who helped the director in her final touch. In the end, all she tried to do was portray everything the band loved, all the places they’ve been to, most of the hits they sang, and all the people they were inspired by. Even if you are not a big fan (but you still have to love musicals) you will be amazed by the way the movie keeps throwing you back and forth to some hidden layers of the universe, some are as colorful as in Pleasantville and others are as dark as in Gotham City…

If you love music, graphics, strawberries, & real talents… this is a must watch!

Share this post:

Hide Sites