Nowhere Boy (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
The unorthodox childhood of John Lennon is chronicled in 'Nowhere Boy', a melodrama directed by Sam Taylor-Wood, & based on memoirs by one of Lennon's half-sisters. The film starts in Liverpool, England in 1955. There, we find young Lennon (Aaron Johnson, of Kick-Ass) to be a spirited, smart, but also smart-ass teenager, living with his purse-lipped, but loving Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas). Before long, 2 things rock his world. 1st, he learns that his estranged mom, Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), lives nearby, & he reconnects with her. She's a freewheeler & a flirt, just like her son, but she's also a fragile mental case who was too immature to raise him. Aunt Mimi raised him since age 5; and is hesitant to give him back to her sister because she thinks it is what's best for him.
The 2nd thing that rocks his world is that he decides to escape the family drama by using his talent to become the next Elvis Presley {haha}. John loved art, loved his guitar, & he loved rock & roll; which gave him a much needed outlet - or an identity free of his family. And it was his musical genius, his drive, & his enthusiasm to create which led to a friendship (and kindred spirit) with young Paul McCartney (well played by Thomas Sangster, of Love Actually). George Harrison follows. Their group is assembled. And they get a following. But just as Lennon begins his new, fascinating life, the truth about his sordid past comes to a head again; leading to a tragedy that would eventually find its way (directly or subliminally) into his iconic music.
This film really, really surprised me. I guess I just wasn't expecting much going in (given the director & Lennon storyline), but boy, was I wrong? Not only is it an emotionally raw account of John's blossoming talent, but I was damn entertained by the acting, the music, & the 1950s nostalgia. Though all of it is on a small scale, I was swept away for 95 min. The subtle power of 'Nowhere Boy' is that it captures how Lennon's strained family relations drove him mad (for a bit) before flying the coop & becoming the man he was born to be. It also shows the magnitude with which the 2 women shaped him. His Aunt Mimi wound up being the most important woman in his life (short of Yoko Ono). And the film takes a poignant look at the inner-wounds inflicted on sensitive young men by unreliable parents (in this case, John's mom). Every subtle moment involving John & these 2 women rang incredibly true to me. I was affected.
Aaron Johnson doesn't exactly look like Lennon, but he brings a real mischievous, playful, yet painful portrayal to life. He embodies the swagger, the cajones, but also the intense vulnerability of someone in that family situation. I'm very impressed. Both Kristin Scott Thomas & Anne-Marie Duff are exceptional as Lennon's aunt & mom; 2 clashing personalities, 2 clashing sisters. Thomas' portrayal is equally formidable as it is delicate; she doesn't quite know how to jive with her rock & roll nephew. She's heartbreaking in several scenes. Ditto for Duff. There definitely appeared to be an Oedipal complex at play btwn. John & his mom, but Duff grounded her in a sad, confused, trying-to-stay-afloat kind of way which made me wholly sympathize. The film takes a few dramatic licenses (according to Paul McCartney, but Yoko Ono loved it; having seen it twice), but AS depicted, I bought the relationship btwn. these 3 individuals; hook, line, & sinker.
'Nowhere Boy' is not what I'd call a superb movie; the framework is a bit schematic. But it's an extremely well executed film given the subject, at hand. I feel like I've learned something about Lennon's exuberance, his melancholy, & his burgeoning art. Some people may go into this film thinking they'll see Lennon in his prime. Maybe they think they'll hear a lot of Beatles music. Be forewarned, that's not this movie. What this film shows us is a 5 yr. (or so) microcosm of John Lennon's turbulent teen years - right before his genius took full flight. And it was those formative years which clearly contributed to the complexity of his music down the road. This film has received solid reviews stateside. And it garnered a plethora of British Academy Award nominations last year. I now see why.
The 2nd thing that rocks his world is that he decides to escape the family drama by using his talent to become the next Elvis Presley {haha}. John loved art, loved his guitar, & he loved rock & roll; which gave him a much needed outlet - or an identity free of his family. And it was his musical genius, his drive, & his enthusiasm to create which led to a friendship (and kindred spirit) with young Paul McCartney (well played by Thomas Sangster, of Love Actually). George Harrison follows. Their group is assembled. And they get a following. But just as Lennon begins his new, fascinating life, the truth about his sordid past comes to a head again; leading to a tragedy that would eventually find its way (directly or subliminally) into his iconic music.
This film really, really surprised me. I guess I just wasn't expecting much going in (given the director & Lennon storyline), but boy, was I wrong? Not only is it an emotionally raw account of John's blossoming talent, but I was damn entertained by the acting, the music, & the 1950s nostalgia. Though all of it is on a small scale, I was swept away for 95 min. The subtle power of 'Nowhere Boy' is that it captures how Lennon's strained family relations drove him mad (for a bit) before flying the coop & becoming the man he was born to be. It also shows the magnitude with which the 2 women shaped him. His Aunt Mimi wound up being the most important woman in his life (short of Yoko Ono). And the film takes a poignant look at the inner-wounds inflicted on sensitive young men by unreliable parents (in this case, John's mom). Every subtle moment involving John & these 2 women rang incredibly true to me. I was affected.
Aaron Johnson doesn't exactly look like Lennon, but he brings a real mischievous, playful, yet painful portrayal to life. He embodies the swagger, the cajones, but also the intense vulnerability of someone in that family situation. I'm very impressed. Both Kristin Scott Thomas & Anne-Marie Duff are exceptional as Lennon's aunt & mom; 2 clashing personalities, 2 clashing sisters. Thomas' portrayal is equally formidable as it is delicate; she doesn't quite know how to jive with her rock & roll nephew. She's heartbreaking in several scenes. Ditto for Duff. There definitely appeared to be an Oedipal complex at play btwn. John & his mom, but Duff grounded her in a sad, confused, trying-to-stay-afloat kind of way which made me wholly sympathize. The film takes a few dramatic licenses (according to Paul McCartney, but Yoko Ono loved it; having seen it twice), but AS depicted, I bought the relationship btwn. these 3 individuals; hook, line, & sinker.
'Nowhere Boy' is not what I'd call a superb movie; the framework is a bit schematic. But it's an extremely well executed film given the subject, at hand. I feel like I've learned something about Lennon's exuberance, his melancholy, & his burgeoning art. Some people may go into this film thinking they'll see Lennon in his prime. Maybe they think they'll hear a lot of Beatles music. Be forewarned, that's not this movie. What this film shows us is a 5 yr. (or so) microcosm of John Lennon's turbulent teen years - right before his genius took full flight. And it was those formative years which clearly contributed to the complexity of his music down the road. This film has received solid reviews stateside. And it garnered a plethora of British Academy Award nominations last year. I now see why.