Nowhere Boy
charts the early life of Quarrymen founder, later becoming The Beatles, John Lennon (Aaron Johnson).
Set in the mid-to-late 1950s, we see a 17-year-old John living with his Uncle George (David Threlfall), who
dies early on in the film, which leaves him with his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas), while also coming to terms
about the fact that he hasn't lived with his Mum, Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), since he was five. As Mimi brings
the cold, hard facts of life into play, it's easier for John just to run out and live at Julia's house with her husband,
Bobby (David Morrissey), and their children, spending days doing very little apart from going to Blackpool and
getting the ambition to be a pop star after seeing Elvis on a newsreel.
While suspended from school he learns how to play the guitar at Julia's house, which includes a clever visual effect
as Julia and John are on opposite sides of the room at normal speed, while there's time-lapse movement from her
daughters in the middle - and then the camera zooms in on John. Very subtle and very clever.
As the film progresses, we see the band form as John meets 15-year-old Paul (Thomas Sangster) and George
(Sam Bell), but before long, John soon turns into a cocky, arrogant prat and the realities of family life kick
in again.
Nowhere Boy is well-filmed with lots of period detail and reasonable acting from all concerned, but no-one
feels like they're really pushing the boat out and while the story may be of great interest to Beatles afficianados,
it's not a major draw if you just like some of their music. From the hype surrounding the film I was expecting something
special, but it plays out more like a TV drama.
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