Across The Universe

Beautiful set pieces marred by extended bits of trite dribble. The low-lights are quite numerous and relatively easy to circumscribe: the early songs and most of the heartfelt solo performances fall prey to a community college musical milieu. The high-lights are there, to be found. And should be extracted. The most extended highlight would be the I am the Walrus -> The Benefit of Mr Kite, with the eerily accurate recreation of the historic non-meeting between Ken Kesey and Timothy Leary in upstate New York. Watch it for the sequences that look like Michel Gondry was at the storyboard, and forget the rest.