Monday 28 December 2009

Nowhere Boy

Boxing Day saw us toddle of to the pictures to see Nowhere Boy, a film essentially about John Lennon’s teenage years up to the time he leaves Liverpool for Hamburg. The film charts his emotionally tumultuous upbringing abandoned by his mother, Julia, brought up by her sister, his Aunt Mimi, being reunited with his mother for a short while until her death, and his musical upbringing. It is I suspect a fine line between success and failure when you come from such a background.


The film charts the early beginnings of his musical career. His first meeting with Paul, there subsequent friendship, and then George joining the band are most definitely covered but a lot of the other musical history is a bit vague. Director Sam Taylor-Wood, in this her debut feature, concentrates on the 'tug of love’ battle between Mimi (played by the delicious Kristin Scott Thomas) and Julia (played by Anne-Marie Duff), giving a flavour of the musical history rather than it been centre stage.

All in all it’s a bloody good film, and a must see for Lennon aficionados, but don’t go expecting to see a Beatles documentary!


If I have one complaint there was no mention of Strawberry Fields.




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