A.V. Club - Justice: A Cross the Universe
By: Nicole Kai Kobilansky
November 4, 2008
The marketing machine that has become Ed Banger records continues to build the hype around Justice and associates using any means plausible (£400 official Justice black leather jackets, anyone?)
Also known as Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay (the cute one), Justice have become synonymous with style, indie cred, and the Christian crucifix, thanks in part to the savoir-faire of their Ed Banger guru, Pedro Winter (a.k.a. Busy P).
Having learned how to build hype and intrigue while managing the career of another enigmatic DJ duo – Daft Punk – Busy P has been steering Justice into the waters of sure success with singles like "D.A.N.C.E" and "Waters of Nazareth". Arriving on the scene just after the Klaxons had warmed up all the indie kids to a more palatable electronic sound, Augé and de Rosnay were able to convert them into believers in the church of the big, glowing, and very ambiguous †.
They have been nominated for a Grammy, pissed off Kanye West, and remixed everyone from Britney Spears to your mother, and now Justice is trying desperately to build even more momentum. Enter A Cross the Universe, the tour documentary (although I would opt for mockumentary) made by long-time Banger associate and music video director Romain Gavras and art director SoMe.
Gavras previously directed Justice's controversial video for "Stress", which served to disguise the band as abstract social commentators (first religion, then race wars in the Banlieues) but his latest directorial effort has reduced the Banger lot to a bunch of juvenile party dramatists.
If you have watched the ubiquitous trailer, you'll know roughly what to expect – excerpts from their live show, boobies, booze, and lots of far-fetched tour bus hi-jinks. There are lots of crazy fans with gigantic Justice tattoos, fans convulsing with ecstasy at the front of the stage, female fans trying to hook up with de Rosnay (and sometimes Augé), fans – well, you get the idea - and it all reads just a little too unrepentantly pretentious.
Besides trying to weave unlikely plotlines throughout the film – like the tour manager trying to buy every gun and rifle imaginable while in America à la Michael Moore before getting into a scuffle with police and the band pretend-shopping for multi-million dollar mansions - we hear very little from the actual protagonists. Gaspard and Xavier actually come off as pretty mild-mannered rock stars (who kiss through a cross before going onstage), and only speak to exchange the odd inside-joke with each other.
The concert footage, something that might have redeemed this glamourised CD-bonus feature, is spliced in sporadically and never offers a satisfying build-up. That said, A Cross The Universe is a fun watch if you're a big fan of the act and have a relatively short attention span. The editing is top notch and there are definitely a few funny moments, as well as cameos by Anthony Kiedis and, my personal favourite, the morose tour bus driver. If you're looking for a true Justice experience though, I suggest you catch them on tour to see what the hype is really about.
What A Cross the Universe adds up to is a fancy infomercial/pet-film project. Then again, chances are if you bought the leather jacket you'll buy this too.
Trailer: A Cross the Universe
