Nothing gonna change my world...except maybe this

We've all seen something we've described as 'so bad it's good', but after having watched the film Across The Universe, I'm really not sure if this is true.

Have you seen it? I read about it a few years ago: Liverpool lad works passage to the US in search of long lost GI dad, finds him working as a janitor at Princeton of all places, dad's not interested, inexplicably falls in with racy rich student crowd, gets invited home to Thanksgiving, meets rich pal's sister who's just lost her fiance in Vietnam and falls in love, moves to chi-chi hippie pad in NYC and there his life really takes off, all to a soundtrack of other people singing Beatles songs and the backdrop of every major US history moment in the late Sixties.

Like a car crash, I couldn't look away. It's peculiar because it's not a musical, not a stage one anyway, and some of the set pieces are really quite good. But there's some shameless shoehorning in of a Beatles song just to suit the story, and vice versa.

Then there are the clunkly plot devices: 'This is Prudence', announces the Liverpool Lad. "She came in through the bathroom window'. CLANG! When Prudence has a minor meltdown and locks herself in the cupboard, guess what everyone sings? Actually, that was quite nice. So everyone you meet is of course called Sadie, Jo Jo, Lucy and the main lead, played by the likeable 21 star Jim Sturgess is called - yes! - Jude! So at the end of the film when Jude is slightly troubled...you get it. I half expected to see a spinster bicycling to evensong with a sign on her back saying Eleanor Rigby, or some go-go booted poppet to introduce herself as Penny Lane. It was that obvious.

It's full of surprises: Bono pops up as 'Dr Robert' who takes everyone on a magical mystery tour in a psychedelic bus while singing I Am The Walrus (great FX), and Joe Cocker is belting out a number on a street corner apropos of nothing. Eddie Izzard does a Pythonesque headfuck to For The Benefit Of Mr Kite. It made a refreshing change to hear some new versions of old classics.

I loved it. I hated it. The ending is shit. Like Tommy, it's probably better appreciated while your on a higher plane, yeah. So is it aimed at teenagers or dreamy nostalgics or just anyone? So many questions. I lay awake most of the night trying to work it out.

I could go on.

It's written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, which took me totally by surprise.

If you've not seen it, it's currenlty showing on Sky Movies. Do catch it. And you've seen it, what on earth did you make of it?

Have a look and see:

Five faves off the Five-Centres ipod

Some current listening favourites:

Pinball/Brian Protheroe. I had no idea the former Gentlemen and Players (remember that?) star was a singer. This one and only hit from 1974 could have been out today, except for the rather dated references to pale ale, Soho and, er, pinball, surely all the rage at the time. But it's more a song about loneliness and depression really. He's got an alright voice. If you lived in a seedy London bedsit in the 70s, then this is the song for you. Or if you think that sounds like the most exciting thing in the world then, again, this one's right up your alley.

Red Wine and Promises/Lal and Mike Waterson. The Waterson sister (who's now sadly dead) and her husband join forces for this heartbreaking number a woman who drinks too much and falls over. She's probably an alcoholic. Lal, whose voice is similar but slightly softer and more melancholy than Norma's, does a tour de force here. When she sings 'I don't want no bugger's arms around me', she's drunk and helpless, but she's still got her pride. I defy you not to be moved.

Lovely Rita, Meter Maid/The Beatles. I can take or leave the Beatles as a whole - I'm a Stones man - but I saw that programme about the groups of today remaking the songs from Sgt Pepper, and I realised what a good, intricate and hard to sing song this is. And so 60s too - meter maid never caught on, did it, and lives on only in song. Nice and jolly.

Lazy Line Painter Jane/Belle and Sebastian. Now, I've only recently discovered them. Someone put Legal Man on a compilation for me and I was hooked. I had no idea that they were like they are. I love the lyrics, and love girl/boy singing combinations. They're the upmarket Beautiful South. I've no idea where to start when buying them, so guidance would be much appreciated.

Portsmouth/Mike Oldfield. Who hasn't morris danced to this while you've got friends on air flute, tambourine and that drum he played on Blue Peter? Oh, only me? I love this modern day sea shanty with no words. How does Mike Oldfield do it? And it was a hit too. Shame he's bonkers.