A Cross the Universe

French duo Justice broke out onto the world music scene in 2007. Their hit debut album merely bore the symbol of a cross as its title. Their electronic dance music, inspired by successful compatriots Daft Punk, doesn’t seem initially to conceal any irony or absurdity, making the film, intended to accompany the concert recordings, all the more surprising: this "tour documentary” is a wild, razor-sharp modern follow-up to mystification films which home in on the eccentricity and wacky image of the music scene. Producers Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay perform postmodern disco in their band Justice, but the film reveals them as rock stars who are making the most of their time at the top. Leather jackets and tough-talk evoke the heavy-metal scene, the American tour has some bizarre moments (feeding squirrels with hallucinogenic drugs, an impulsive wedding in Las Vegas), and even minor characters are depicted with cinematic precision. Some of the motifs are quoted from earlier music documentaries; others are reminiscent of Monty Python. One of the film’s directors is the designer and creator of clips So Me, a fundamental figure in today’s pop culture.