Across the Universe

Starring: Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, James Urbaniak, Eddie Izzard, Bono
Genre: Drama/Musical
Director: Julie Taymor
Rating: M
Running time: 133 minutes

At once gritty, whimsical and highly theatrical, Across the Universe is a unique film springing from the imagination of renowned director Julie Taymor (Frida, Titus, and the Broadway smash hit musical "The Lion King").

A love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, mind exploration and rock 'n roll, the film moves from the dockyards of Liverpool to the creative psychedelia of Greenwich Village, from the riot-torn streets of Detroit to the killing fields of Vietnam.

The star-crossed lovers, Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), along with a small group of friends and musicians, are swept up into the emerging anti-war and counterculture movements, with "Dr. Robert" (Bono) and "Mr. Kite" (Eddie Izzard) as their guides. Tumultuous forces outside their control ultimately tear the young lovers apart, forcing Jude and Lucy - against all odds - to find their own way back to each other. Set against the backdrop of music from The Beatles.

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE opens November 1 at selected cinemas.