by Moe Zilla

Created on: January 07, 2008

It was dazzling and even "ebullient," with a fun, giddy energy. And because it's a musical, the surprises never let up.

"Across the Universe" weaves 34 different Beatle songs into a story about young people who become friends, start to love, make music, and, yes, face the crises of the 1960s. But it's done through songs and imagery, with the dialogue leading to surprising moments when the characters' feelings need to be expressed with a song.

Lucy asks, as though for the first time ever, what would happen "If I Fell (in love with you)." A sad Prudence watches a couple on the football field and moans with aching intensity, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand." Later, of course, she locks herself in the closet while feeling miserable, and it's up to a chorus of her friends to sing a sweetly coaxing "Dear Prudence (Won't You Come Out to Play)." The windows of their apartment suddenly expand to show the beautiful clouds in a perfect blue sky, as the movie offers delight after delight. The movie runs for over two hours, but the dazzling moments never let up.

And amazingly, there's a real story in all this, following Jude from Liverpool to an American college campus, a suburban home, the artist's underground of New York, and finally into protests of the 1960s and the war in Vietnam. Inevitably, there's a rooftop concert (just like the Beatles' in "Let it Be") - and an endorsement of simple love. The young actors, all in their 20s, just make the story of new love that much more believable.

It's a "hyper-reality," with great singing and great acting both occuring at the same time, as the movie world changes to match the tunes. Among the delights are appearances by Bono, Joe Cocker, and Salma Hayek (who appears as a sexy nurse). The soundtrack was nominated for a Grammy, but the music is only a starting point. What's more amazing is that out of all the wonderful Beatle songs that audience cherished for decades, they somehow magically assembled a movie. It would spoil some of the fun to list out all the songs, but what's more important is they feel new again.

And it's a lot of fun.

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